6906 Fence Sitters
Ves frowned while pressing his fingers against his temple.
He was not suffering from a headache, but he certainly did not feel good after contemplating the possible ripple effects from the coming act of secession.
Was there anything Ves could do to stop the Terrans and the Rubarthans from going through with their insanely risky plan?
No.
As much as these people respected him, he had no voice when it ca to their geopolitical ambitions. He was a provider of technology, not a leader of n or a visionary that could unite red humanity under a common flag.
What he managed to do with the Larkinson Clan was trivial compared to the much more difficult endeavor of keeping the Terrans and the Rubarthans aligned with the Red Association and the Red Fleet.
There was too much bad blood between them. Their grievances only began a little over 4 centuries ago. Since the start of the Age of chs, the chers and the fleeters had only generated further resentnt among the subjugated.
Even though Ves believed that it was absolutely stupid for the Terrans and the Rubarthans to settle their scores with their current overlords, voicing his opinion wouldn't change anything.
In fact, Ves suspected that not even god pilots or Star Designers could convince them to abort their plans!
This was far from a solitary initiative. This was the collective will of the first-rate colonial superstates.
Over the course of the Age of chs, the Big Two tried so hard to beat the pride out of the Terrans and the Rubarthans.
They failed.
The latter had managed to defend their heritage and remaining rights too well.
For whatever reason, the chers and the fleeters failed to press too hard to dismantle the strong culture and traditions of the superstates.
Ves suspected that the MTA and the CFA originally intended to play the long ga. Since enacting too many changes in a short amount of ti was liable to provoke a backlash, the chers and the fleeters likely intended to erode the Greater Terran United Confederation and the New Rubarth Empire over the course of many more centuries.
People had long mories, but when all of the people who lived through the days where the Terrans and the Rubarthans reigned supre had died, their descendants might not hold as much fire towards the restoration of their star empires anymore.
After all, they grew up in a ti where sovereign human empires had already turned into relics of a distant past.
Perhaps it might take a millenia or so to wear out the Terran or Rubarthan identity, but the Big Two were willing to wait this long.
After all, they possessed absolute military supremacy. Even if the first-rate superstates hid a few secret trump cards, they could never match the might of the two hegemons that had access to much of the resources of the Milky Way Galaxy.
It was unfortunate that the sudden release of the Auto Heretic line, the acts of sabotage committed by the Big Two's many enemies and the catastrophic outbreak of the Carmine Revolution completely disrupted the layout of the ch Trade Association and the Common Fleet Alliance!
The Big Two faced their first true crisis that threatened their continued hegemony in the old galaxy. Their enemies had been plotting their downfall for a long ti, and now that they had an opening, they pounced upon it with great enthusiasm!
Ves thought that the MTA and the CFA had it coming because they were too arrogant and because original humanity had no real enemies aside from themselves.
It was human nature to resort to internal squabbles and infighting when they did not face too much external pressure.
People had grown too complacent in the Milky Way. The aliens that lived in the other half of the galaxy presented no real threat, so far too many humans directed their animosity and hatred towards each other.
This was one of the main reasons why the Big Two failed to stop the Carmine Revolution from completely upending the current order in the old galaxy!
Ves naturally assud that it would be different in the Red Ocean.
In the face of full-blown hostility from all of the native alien races, the heavily outnumbered red humans should have recognized that it was detrintal to turn their weapons against each other.
During the last decade of the Age of chs, many human forces fought as many battles against each other as they fought the aliens whose territories they desired!
This was typical human behavior. The Big Two was too lazy to reign in the pioneers and opportunists that sought to carve out their territories in the new frontier.
Yet when the Age of Dawn comnced, pretty much all overt battles between different human groups quickly dwindled to nothing.
No one dared to waste their soldiers and chs in petty territorial disputes when the native aliens threatened to roll over all humans regardless of allegiances!
Ves saw this as a good sign. It showed that red humans could rise above their greed and old resentnts and focus on the bigger picture.
He was so wrong.
Human nature could be suppressed, but it could never be erased entirely.
People were unable to get rid of their bad habits.
Ves felt a chill running through his spine as he thought about how many plans would co to ruin if the Terrans and the Rubarthans truly succeeded in dividing human-occupied space into at least three separate pieces.
He looked at Master Laila Devos again.
Now that she had unveiled the enormous truth to him, he could never look at her the sa way again.
She had beco more than just a respectable elder, an accomplished Master ch Designer and a wise leader figure.
In his eyes, she had turned into a fanatic. She had openly conveyed her willingness to throw all caution to the wind just to fulfill an irrational goal.
How could Ves possibly feel comfortable with Master Laila and the rest of the Terrans after that?
Who knew what other harebrained sches they had secretly cooked up in their backyards.
Perhaps Ves was leaving New Constantinople at a good ti. He definitely did not want to remain close to any Terran center of power when the secessionists finally made their move!
He took a deep breath.
"When?" He asked.
Ves urgently needed to collect more information. The more he knew about this gambit, the more he could protect himself from the aftermath.
"We are still waiting for a trigger event." Master Laila replied. "I am sworn to secrecy on this matter, so I cannot divulge any further details about the timing. I can only tell you that it will devastate the Red Association and the Red Fleet. The confluence of events will batter them so badly that they will not even think of bringing us back into the fold."
That sounded ominous.
Ves wisely did not probe any further, knowing that this was a secret that she intended to keep.
"Why tell ?" He said. "You could have easily said nothing and unveil the big surprise when you guys are finally ready to secede."
"There are multiple reasons why I am informing you in advance. First, our plans have developed to a point where the Secret Departnt of the Red Collective is likely to collect enough conclusive proof of our plans. A secret keeper will likely approach you in the coming weeks to inform you about our asures. You would have resented us for not telling you even though we have remained in contact with each other for years. By telling you upfront, we are conveying our sincerity to you and your clan."
That caused Ves to narrow his eyes in suspicion. "Are you trying to drag the Larkinson Clan into this grand sche of yours?"
"No." Master Laila Devos shook her head. "We do not hold any expectations towards you and your clan. The Terran Alliance plans to secede on its own initiative. We do not insist that any of its allies and business partners must follow suit. It is not our place to make decisions on your behalf. We have thoroughly analyzed you and your clan and have co to understand that you prefer to be fence sitters."
That caused Ves to frown.
"I like to see it as remaining neutral. I am already burdened with enough problems. It is detrintal for to attract more trouble."
"We can respect that, professor. You do not have to massage the truth to us. You wish to avoid commitnts and maintain cordial relations with all of us. You and your clan are too heavily involved with the Red Three to break up relations with them. At the sa ti, you have developed beneficial ties with the Terran Alliance and the Rubarthan Pact. That is not necessarily detrintal in our opinion. Even when our superstate is prepared to break many relations to the Red Association and the Red Fleet, we still have a need for bridges such as your clan to maintain indirect channels with the two superorganizations."
That sounded a lot more magnanimous and far-sighted than Ves expected. That showed that the Terrans weren't being completely irrational.
Their goals may be crazy, but they were still smart enough to formulate the right processes.
"I don't know how much use we can be, but I do not object to serving as an interdiary between you and the Red Two." Ves carefully said. "By the way, I have noticed that you have never directed any animosity towards the newest superorganization. It will still be pretty awkward for the first-rate colonial superstates to sever most of their ties with the Red Two while leaving out the Red Collective. What are your intentions?"
"We do not harbor any contempt towards the Red Collective because it is unrelated to the many cris committed by the chers and the fleeters. It is too new to be stained with the sins of the past, and we also happen to hold considerable power and influence within its ranks. Even without that, we are confident that the RC will naturally be inclined towards neutrality. The repercussions of taking any side are too great. I believe that the collies will bury their heads in the sand and outright ignore the hostility that is brewing between us and our would-be masters."
The Master ch Designer was probably right about this. Ves knew that the RC was too new and lacking in confidence. It had yet to build up a strong reputation. It also lacked a cadre that was powerful and accomplished enough to drive strong policies.
Neither side had to worry about the Red Collective mucking up the balance of power. This was already the best outco to the ambitious Terrans and Rubarthans.
Ves lowered his posture, not out of defeat, but out of resignation.
There was no one powerful enough to stop this insanity from proceeding. Even if the news sohow got leaked to the Red Association and the Red Fleet, what could they do? The starship had already left the port. The vessel would soon engage in FTL travel.
"I… appreciate it that you thought to inform of this developnt beforehand." He eventually said. "I recognize your gesture of goodwill. What you have told is enough for to make a few preparations and make sure that I won't accidentally get in the way. I hope you can understand that it is not in my best interests to voice my support for your attempts at secession. I won't do anything to stop you from fulfilling your long-held dream, but do not interpret that as a signal of approval."
"Your approval is inconsequential to us." Master Laila Devos began to grin. "This is because our rebellion is in your clan's best interest. Our goals are more aligned than you think. Only when you are able to remove the shackles that the chers and to a lesser extent the fleeters have placed on you will you recognize that the reign of the chers and fleeters is already dood from the start of the Age of Dawn."
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