Chapter 4789  Commanding Lead

"Who put you in charge?!" A mercenary general asked. The uniformed man possessed a brave demeanor and did not look inferior to a Larkinson. The  people who got kidnapped largely consisted of highly successful leaders in every important  profession. The Larkinsons were not the only ones who brought soldiers, and it could even be  argued that mercenary organizations possessed even more fighting experience! This gave the mercenary general the confidence to contest for dominance. It was not that the man  doubted the combat acumen of the Larkinsons, but his mercenary organization possessed a martial  tradition that went back centuries! Ves recalled that the man came from a notable mercenary organization called the TRD Combat  Application Group. "General Holdren. I have heard much about you and your fellow mercenaries. I respect your  mercenary company's competence in battles against mechs on the battlefield, but we are in a  different situation right now. The scenario we are in is more comparable to the expeditions that our  clan has embarked upon in the past. In this alien environment where we are tasked with fighting an  asymmetrical battle with inconsistent battle assets, ingenuity and technological mastery are more  important than knowing how to fight. Besides, you and your fellow mercenary officers have come  without bringing any combat armor or heavy weapons." "We have our guards!" "That may be true, but are they as well-equipped as ours?" Ves asked with a grin. He decided that a demonstration was in order. He waved for his honor guards to step forward. They  did so with loud clanking metal footsteps that echoed throughout the large and expansive hall. Each of them looked large and looming as they wore serious medium to heavy combat armor that  were geared towards assault, defense and other heavy duties. The more knowledgeable and technical people among the crowd looked astonished as they  understood how well the Larkinson Clan's honor guards were armored! "Those troops are wrapped in first-class armor plating!" A Senior Mech Designer working for  another company revealed. "The workmanship is rough, but their effectiveness is not in question." "Seriously?!" "How extravagant!" "Even the patriarch is clad in the same quality of armor!" Ves grinned as he faced the crowd in an open helmet. He waved one of his honor guards at the side  to step forward and face the massive crowd in a confident posture. "If you doubt the capabilities of my soldiers and think that our clan should not take the lead, then  feel free to defeat him. Shoot his armor. I dare you. If you want to challenge my right to take  command, then prove you have the strength to beat my clan into submission!" Not many dared to do so. The Larkinson Clan's heritage may only be a fraction of the other  organizations involved in this mess, but the glory and prestige that Ves and his soldiers had earned  in a short amount of time was unequaled!

While these mercenaries and other pioneers had been wining and dining in the safe and  increasingly more secure confines of Davute, the Larkinsons either went on harrowing expeditions  or spent time on preparing for their next journey into the deeper parts of the frontier! Reputation mattered in times like these. Ves had hardly heard General Holdren and his mercenary  company's deeds, while practically every well-connected Davute knew about the Larkinson Clan's  record of beating mutant phase whales and formidable alien warships! Ves banged his armored fist against his chestplate, producing a loud noise that caused the timid  individuals amongst the crowd to jump in fright! "Do you know where I gained the materials to upgrade the armor of my suit and that of my  bodyguards? Our clan ripped all of the materials off the damaged and broken debris from an alien  warship whose name roughly translates to the Collapsing House of the Fractured Star. Our Golden  Skull Alliance not only had to confront this ship in direct battle, but also had to fend off her  mightiest leader and protector, a phase lord called the Trampler of Stars. If you think those names  are exaggerations to embellish my record, then I can send you the edited footage of our battle  against these powerful alien foes." "...No need." The words that Ves spoke combined with his odd glow that transmitted his will to dominate to the  crowd completely caused them to fall under his rhythm. They never encountered a situation like this before! Many people did not even harbor any desire to challenge what Ves was saying. They already became  convinced that it was right for this impressive clan patriarch to take charge of their entire group! Of course, not everyone was caught off-balance. There were still many experienced and steady  leaders among the kidnapped VIPs. Their ability to endure pressure and think rationally were  exceptional, and they did not let themselves get fooled by a younger man who happened to take the  initiative. General Holdren of the TRD Combat Application Group looked unwilling, but he knew quite well  that he and his mercenaries would not be able to surpass the Larkinsons in terms of strength or  proven accomplishments. This caused him to withhold his voice and remain still. That did not necessarily mean that people like General Holdren were sincerely convinced and  willing to obey the instructions of the Larkinsons. If severe differences in opinions ever arose, the mercenaries working for TRD might decide to  separate from the Larkinsons and act in a separate capacity! That was an undesirable outcome to Ves as he anticipated that there would be a tough fight ahead.  Whoever managed to take over the primary control room should definitely have prepared enough  defenses to defend against an attack. In the worser scenarios, the adversaries might have managed to subvert a few native defensive  systems as well, which meant that the trapped VIPs had to fight against both their kidnappers and  the prison facility itself! Ves needed every soldier who could fight in order to maximize his chances of winning the upcoming  confrontation. He did not want to worry about people messing up behind his back or throwing his  strategy into disarray. Fortunately, the different delegations were quite limited and scattered in their opinions. Even if  there were a number of them that were united in their unwillingness to answer to an upstart clan  and its young leader, they were even less willing to answer to each other! Ves knew that he needed to make a breakthrough in order to unite the gathered VIPs and their  guards under his banner. While Ves had been arguing with the likes of General Holdren, a large number of soldiers wearing  either low profile suits or heavily armored combat armor had gathered and formed up in the rear of  the main crowd. As the groups of soldiers began to organize themselves until they formed a much larger column of  infantry troops, a lot of people discovered that a second powerful force was in their midst! The Davutan security guards might not have the benefit of extravagant protection such as first-class  armor plating, but they possessed the greatest quantity of combat effective soldiers among the  people involuntarily brought to this pocket space. The hundreds of guards were not only well-trained, but already adhered to a single military  command structure. If the equipment between the Larkinson guards and the Davutan guards was  the same, then the latter would undoubtedly be able to gain an easy advantage in battle due to their  overwhelming numerical superiority! Ves needed the support of these soldiers, but how easy was it to convince them to answer to a  private individual? Each of them had been trained to answer to their superiors and no one else. As consummate  professionals, they took their oaths seriously. It was impossible for Ves to deceive them with words  and convince them to ignore the regulations they were compelled to follow. In truth, his entire show of force was not targeted towards the crowd as a whole. Ves was confident  in his speaking ability, and if that did not work out for whatever reason, he could always resort to  absolute force to cow the doubters and contrarians into submission. His actual goal was to win over the highest ranking officer among the Davutan guards. Right now, that figure slowly stepped forward while having all of his troopers form to his rear and  sides. It became obvious that the guard officer had successfully managed to subdue the different guard  units that had originally been stationed across different seating blocks. "Your name?" Ves asked as if he was a lord demanding the identity of a subordinate. "Major Alden Durant. I have taken command of the Davutan Palace Guard Forces that are trapped in  this alien base." "You have listened to my words like the others. Do you agree with my argument and agree to follow  my orders?" "Respectfully, patriarch, I cannot do that." The guard officer shook his head. "Our soldiers have a duty  to guard you and our other honored citizens of our colonial state. We are not allowed to take sides  or let ourselves be commanded by one group to the detriment of other groups. The command of our  guard forces must always remain in the hands of an officer that is commissioned by our state. If your  relative General Ark Larkinson was here, then we would surrender to his authority without any  doubt, but you are not an officer of our state." Seeing that Major Durant could not easily be persuaded, Ves made a judgment call and decided to  take a step back. "Very well." Ves smiled in a charming fashion while subconsciously increasing the strength of his  glow. "Since you and your men are loyal servants of the state who can be trusted to do what is best,  then I will not ask you to betray your oath and put my orders above your duty. I merely wish to  obtain your cooperation in a breakout attempt that I have planned."

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