The Mech Touch

The spices of his brew wafted over to the noses of Ves and Calabast, allowing them to enjoy a scent that harkened to a more exotic human culture.

Ves raised his eyebrow at what he heard, but that was the extent of his reaction. "Terran, huh? Well, our clan has a distant relation to the New Rubarth Empire. In fact, if you look deep enough in the past, then practically every human in the Milky Way and the Red Ocean has a relation to the ancient humans who lived on Old Earth. Having a connection to the oldest human state isn't that special these days. Let me guess, the Boojays were exiled from the Terran Confederation, right?"

"Correct. It is not that hard to guess." Minister Shederin acknowledged. "What you need to know is that the Boojay Family isn't a regular group of exiles. The ancestor who founded it was one of the princes of a feudal kingdom in the galactic center. This was during the height of the Age of Conquest where humanity expanded its borders at a rapid pace and where countless looted resources poured into the heart of human civilization. At the time, a succession battle took place where a dozen princes and princesses battled for the throne that had just been vacated."

Calabast leaned back on her chair while crossing her legs, which happened to highlight her tight leather trousers.

"Ah, succession battles. They are always rife with intrigue, betrayal and tragedy. Countless real life palace dramas have taken place throughout human space, and they will continue to unfold each time a hereditary state with an unclean succession line loses its head. Brute force and seniority are not enough to secure one's ascension to the throne. The typical winners of these shadow wars are candidates who are devious enough to outscheme their rivals and charming enough to win over key stakeholders."

Shederin took another sip of his tea. "If you are already familiar with these plots, then there is no need to detail what has happened. All you need to know is that the ancestor in question was one of the many losers of the succession battle. As is typical, the new sovereign did not kill the man, but exiled him. The ancestor was allowed to bring his personal possessions, his loyal followers and a small fleet before he left."

Nothing sounded out of the ordinary to Ves. There were many defeated losers who had been exiled from the galactic center for one reason or another. Some of them managed to rise up again and become the rulers of powerful states, but many others failed to adapt to the changed circumstances and disappeared into history.

"You said this happened during humanity's golden age, right?" Ves asked. "Does the feudal kingdom still exist?"

"No. In the long years since this event took place, the Terran Confederation integrated the kingdom more deeply. The royal family that descended from the victors of every succession battle transformed into the Chabran Ancient Clan in order to blend into the power structure of the Terrans. Today, the Chabrans still retain much of the old territory of their former kingdom, and they are just as wealthy and powerful as the members of other ancient clans."

That sounded impressive, but the Chabran Ancient Clan was way too far away for Ves to care about them. One of the reasons why he became so eager to enter the Red Ocean was to get away from all of those old relics of the past!

"So what happened to the Boojay Family after they left the galactic center?"

"The Boojays degenerated over the generations, as is typical when exiles are no longer able to pay for the upkeep and replacement of demanding first-class tech." Shederin answered. "Their lack of initiative and overly conservative decision-making has prevented them from suffering any instant losses, but it has also failed to stop their gradual downslide. The Boojay Family finally managed to stabilize as a second-class organization, but they struggled to find opportunities to grow."

"What did they do to earn their keep during these times? The Adelaides became mercenaries, but the Boojoys don't share the same impression."

Shederin nodded in agreement. "I agree with you, sir. It has much to do with their origins. The Adelaides used to be soldiers who knew nothing else except to fight and wage war. The Boojays emerged from one of the safest regions of human civilization and its founder was a prince who possessed much more understanding of statecraft than the art of war. The family he led therefore sought to acquire territory, which it did. The Boojays spent many generations administering their own planets under the rule of a state."

"That sounds like a decent outcome all-considered." Ves remarked. "If the Boojays successfully became the rulers of their own province or something, why are they here? Why not stay in their cozy place in the old galaxy?"

"That is because the Boojays have another goal. From the moment the family came into existence, their ancestor had always declared that he or his descendent must do their utmost to return to the kingdom and take it over as its 'rightful' ruler."

Calabast snorted. "Too many losers can't accept the fact that they lost and always aspire for a rematch, not caring that they already had their shot. No one really wants them back. These losers and their descendants mainly want to return in order to satisfy their ego, vanity and perceived honor."

Minister Shederin continued to narrative the Boojay Family's history.

"The Boojays eventually found their footing in the galactic heartland. They came to rule a province in a typical second-rate state. While their new foundation provided them with safety and a steady income, there was little upward mobility. The politics in the region have become too stable and peaceful for them to exploit any opportunities to grow and expand. The Boojay Family became stuck and could never fulfill its ancestor's dream of returning to power in the galactic center."

Ves crossed his arms. "Normally, the descendants who are born after the founding generation will gradually move away from the grudges and ambitions of their elders. After all, the Boojays born in the galactic heartland have no emotional attachment and little idea what they could have been. Their lives in their current homes have become much more relevant to their lives."

"That is often the case, but there are several factors that have caused the descendants of each and every subsequent generation of the Boojay Family to cling to the goals of their ancestor. The main one is that their founding generation lived for hundreds of years after their exile. They were already heavily augmented and received multiple rounds of life-prolonging treatment."

Ves learned about this type of leadership pattern from a lesson that Minister Shederin had taught him in the past.

"That means that the Boojay Family has developed into a typical gerontocracy, right?"

"Exactly, sir. The ancestor and his circle of sycophants never relinquished their power until they were physically unable to continue. Their continuous leadership over much of the Boojay Family's history has led to the development of a conservative, old-fashioned culture that retains many of the unique traits and quirks of the original kingdom where they came from. It was only after they expired after a long time that younger leaders took over, but the successors absorbed so much from their elders that there is not that much of a difference."

"If these Boojays are so conservative and inflexible, then how come they made the radical decision to pack up their bags and move to the new frontier?"

"The leaders of the Boojay Family eventually realized that staying in the same second-rate state will not get them any closer to fulfilling their ancestor's goal." Shederin responded. "The Boojays long struggled to find a better option, but that never materialized until the Big Two opened up the Red Ocean. The Boojays recognized that pioneering in the new frontier is a unique opportunity for them to earn much more money and resources that they need to return to the Chabran Ancient Clan and take it over."

The Boojays hadn't exactly been big, but its long years of stable rule had provided them with a deep enough foundation to fund the formation of a formidable second-class pioneering fleet.

The family gave up everything in the galactic heartland in order to pursue its overarching goal.

Whether the Boojays were right or wrong in trying to fulfill a goal of a long-dead ancestor who shouldn't have burdened his descendants with a futile dream, Ves respected the bravery of the current leaders of the family. He would have made the same decision if he was in their place, if only to shake off the stagnation that had befallen this group.

"So what has the Boojay Family done once since they arrived in this dwarf galaxy?"

"Nothing of notice. As I have explained before, the Boojays are good at administering planets, but they have no experience in exploration and are highly unaccustomed to actual combat. Their first few years were rough. They suffered numerous losses and learned many painful lessons before they finally made the necessary adaptations. Their only saving grace is their veteran ace pilot. Without her immense personal power, the Boojay Family should have joined the long line of pioneering organizations that have met their end in the Red Ocean."

"I see. These Boojays don't sound too clever." Ves remarked. "How the hell did they manage to produce an ace pilot if they hadn't fought in any wars?"

"By sending out their talented mech pilots to conflict zones." Calabast replied. "This is a typical method of exercising troops that are stationed in peaceful territories. Sometimes, the mech pilots in question are asked to disguise their true identities and blend into common mercenary outfits. Other times, the soldiers are assigned to expeditionary armies that are being sent out to reinforce allied states at war."

This was a win-win arrangement. The states embroiled in conflict received additional reinforcements while the powers that sent out its manpower would get to temper its combat troops and allow them to gain a lot of experience.

It was rare for ace pilots to emerge from foreign expeditions, but it still happened in rare occasions. The Boojays were extremely lucky in that regard.

"So what is the Boojay Family like in general?" Ves asked. "I already have a general impression of how the Boojays operate by learning about their history, but how much as the Red Ocean influenced their decision-making?"

"Well, the Boojay Family has been forced to make many adaptations now that it has become a pioneering organization." Shederin responded. "Its leaders have become more proactive and have learned the hard way that acting cautiously will only cause them to fall behind in the new frontier. Still, change is hard and the Boojays are still out of their depth despite acclimatizing to their new environment for a number of years."

"Are these Boojays good at anything?"

"The Boojays have an old and traditional heritage. They are proud, honorable and take their promises much more seriously than the Adelaides. Their leaders may be slow to come to a consensus, but once they make a decision, they will commit to it with all of their effort. Their mech forces have always been well-funded and well-trained, and they have accrued just enough combat experience during their time in the Red Ocean to form the nucleus of an effective mech army. Their ace pilot is highly regarded and has a positive record against peers."

"Their motives are also easy to understand, just as with the Adelaides." Calabast helpfully added. "That makes them easy for us to predict and manipulate. As long as we don't stand in the way of their ultimate goal, we should easily be able to gain their support in our initiatives."

Ves smiled at that. "I like what I am hearing."