The Larkinson Clan rapidly grew into a behemoth in a matter of years. The story of its founding and growth was so remarkable that not even the Larkinsons themselves could keep up with the changes!

However, no one doubted who made it all possible. The increasingly more mythical clan patriarch had made a lot of amazing accomplishments over his lifetime. What was even more remarkable was that with his age, he still possessed a lot of untapped potential.

No one believed he would end his career as a Journeyman!

Many of the Larkinson clansmen already expected Ves and his wife to become respected and immensely powerful Master Mech Designers.

He could only chuckle when he became aware of these uninformed remarks.

While he possessed a lot of confidence in himself, realizing a mech design was anything but simple. As his clan continued to grow in strength and numbers, he found that his men constantly increased their expectations of him. Ves felt increasingly more burdened at this development.

"Your clansmen believe in you and your vision." Gloriana once said to him. "They have faith in you. As long as you continue to answer their prayers, your status as clan patriarch will become increasingly more unassailable."

He growled back at her. "Don't use those words! I'm not a god and my clansmen are not my worshippers!"

"Hihi! Whatever you say, Ves."

He blinked and returned his mind to the present. As much as he wanted to dismiss her description, when he met the eyes of the new crew members of his factory ship, their fervor reminded him uncomfortably of radical fanatics.

Oh well. This wasn't the time to think about this. He had an announcement to finish.

"In the past few months, we have acquired a lot of powerful assets in order to form our initial expeditionary fleet. Most notably, we have received a large amount of second-class mechs, second-class combat carriers and other second-class vessels. On top of that, we have purchased an abundant amount of spare parts, materials and other supplies to sustain our fleet for many months without interruption."

He waved his hand, causing a large diagram to be projected above his head.

The diagram displayed a simplified schematic of the Larkinson Clan's current starships!

"Upon the delivery of the final batch of starships, we have completed our acquisition of starships. These are more than enough to last us until we reach a beyonder gate. For the foreseeable future, we will only be looking to expand our expeditionary fleet with capital ships. After all, these immense vessels are the only ones worth bringing into the Red Ocean."

He tapped the air, causing the diagram to group up the ships under different categories.

"Let us take stock of our current fleet. The Hall of Heroes has 3 combat carriers and 2 support ships. The Penitent Sisters has 15 combat carriers and 6 support ships. The Avatars of Myth has 20 combat carriers and 10 support ships. The Battle Criers has 10 combat carriers and 3 support ships. The Living Sentinels has 30 combat carriers and 12 support ships. The Flagrant Vandals has 12 combat carriers and 5 support ships. The Swordmaidens has 3 combat carriers and 2 support ships. The Black Cats have 1 combat carrier and 3 other vessels. Combined with 30 more assorted civilian and logistical ships, our fleet possesses a total of 94 combat carriers and 73 non-combat vessels!"

That was 167 starships in total, which was a mind-boggling number to many people! The Larkinsons weren't accustomed yet to owning so many powerful assets.

This figure didn't even include the formidable fleet of the Cross Clan and the smaller but very powerful fleet of the Glory Seekers! At least 400 starships would be setting off under the banner of the Golden Skull Alliance soon!

"We have completely reorganized our fleet and decommissioned all of our older legacy vessels." Ves happily announced. "While it is painful to divest ourselves of the ships that have supported us up until now, they are no longer fit for our needs. Our new combat carriers and support ships are all universally second-class in performance. Most notably, their FTL drives are just not capable of crossing over into other star sectors, but they are also faster, more precise and longer-ranged than the ones we used before. We estimate it will only take 2 to 3 years for us to reach the Tarnished Crown Star Sector, which is home to one of humanity's precious beyonder gates!"

Another projection came to life that depicted the star chart of the surrounding star clusters. While the map was too zoomed out to display much detail, it was enough to show the Larkinsons how much distance the expeditionary fleet had to traverse in order to reach their destination!

The star chart did not depict any lines that signified the planned route of their expeditionary fleet. This was sensitive information. Even if he limited the broadcast to his own clan, it was far too easy for it to leak out to other people.

As long as third parties learned of the expeditionary fleet's route, they could easily set up an ambush ahead of time!

Besides, the tentative route that Ves and his staff had decided upon was not entirely fixed. The fleet could always take a left turn instead of a right turn or take a small detour in order to visit a special destination in the vicinity.

This was why Ves only mentioned a vague estimate of how long it would take to reach Tarnished Crown. The biggest variable was how much time Ves had to spend in Smiling Samuel in order to complete one of the System's long-stalled Supply Missions.

The diagram of the fleet disappeared. In its place came a representation of the new factory ship.

"Let us move on to the moment you have all been waiting for. Our first capital ship is a massive industrial workhorse, one that can accompany us into the Red Ocean. While her code number reads as HHX-6963, this is not a fitting name for a pivotal vessel that will birth the mechs that will defend our fleet and accompany our mech pilots for many years. My staff and I have carefully considered this issue."

He looked up at the projection. The two kilometer long vessel still lacked the giant golden prow he planned to add, but that would change soon enough.

"Names are important, both to people and to ships." He explained as he paced around the podium. His cape swished as he moved around. "Naming our sub-capital ships is a different matter from naming our biggest ships. I can't be like Commander Melkor and call the new flagship of the Avatars something meaningless like the Purplefeather."

A few people among the crowd chuckled. The downside of acquiring so many ships in a short amount of time was that his men didn't try very hard to come up with good names.

This resulted in a very serious lack of consistency.

The Penitent Sisters bestowed their combat carriers with names such as Mother's Wrath and Virginal Silence.

The Living Sentinels utilized plainer but uplifting names such as Courageous Heart or Steadfast Vigil.

Ves and Major Verle generally didn't bother with how the mech commanders chose to name their new starships. They were second-hand sub-capital ships that the Larkinson Clan would get rid of anyway.

The factory ship was different. It was a ship that not only symbolized the clan's industrial might, but also served as a pillar that sustained the morale of the Larkinsons during good times and bad times.

As long as the Larkinson Clan retained the vessel, it would always be able to make its own mechs! Whether the clan chose to keep the mechs for itself or sell them to others, the expeditionary fleet simply wouldn't be as strong without this bulwark!

"Early in our naming session, we have quickly decided to choose a name that honors our past." Ves continued as he gripped the Larkinson Mandate tighter "While I am aware that many of you have no connection to the Bright Republic, it is the state that has long shaped the Larkinson Family, of which we have split off from. In a final homage to our former home state, we have decided to call this vessel the Spirit of Bentheim!"

Though not many Larkinsons were aware of the significance of this name, the old guard all gasped or reacted with astonishment.

The Spirit of Bentheim!

It was a name with multiple layers of meaning. Ves instantly liked it when he first came up with it. Since much of the leadership of the clan consisted of trueblood Larkinsons, they understood some of the meaning as well.

Ves waved his hand, causing the projection of the factory ship to turn into a live view of the starboard side of the hull.

Below the huge, painted code number, a huge portion of the exterior spontaneously morphed into white lettering. The factory ship immediately assumed her new identity!

He waved his hand again, causing a projection of the planet it was named after to appear into view.

The footage depicted the planet at its prime and when it was fortified during the Sand War.

"A few years ago, our star sector came under attack. The sandman race had swept over many border states. The Bright Republic soon became caught up in it as well. In order to support the war effort, the Republic's only port system played a strategic role in keeping everyone supplied with mechs and starships. What you are seeing now is the planet that used to be the heart of my former home state's industry."

The planet in the footage did not last long. As the Sand War progressed to the end, a humongous concentration of sandman vessels funneled into the star system. The defenders quickly became overwhelmed and the overly-complacent MTA defending starships had been taken by surprise!

A lot of veterans and victims of the Sand War became emotional at what was about to come. Some of the trueblood Larkinsons and former citizens of the Bright Republic even broke out in tears!

The sand storm that had swept over the entire planet wiped out centuries worth of industrial development, an enormous amount of unevacuated citizens and a proud heritage that had never succumbed to the Vesians.

The depressing end of this once-great planet affected even Ves.

"Bentheim, the engine of the Bright Republic, is dead." He announced.

The entire crowd fell silent. Even the newcomers who didn't have anything to do with the Sand War became emotional.

Ves looked up at the projection of the sand-scoured globe and pressed his fist against his chest.

"While the planet might be dead, its spirit still lives on!" He claimed with a raised voice. "Many of the people who visited it, lived on it or had relations with it still remember what that prosperous and exciting planet was like! While there is a huge library's worth of historical documents, images and footage of Bentheim in the past, these are lifeless records that do not mean anything without the right context. Our memories on the other hand are different. We remember its spirit of what it once was. It is this sentiment that we wish to keep on so that our subsequent generations will keep the Spirit of Bentheim alive! Honor the past, but work towards the future!"

The crowd all stood up and pressed their fists against their hearts!

"For the future!" They roared!

A huge wave of satisfaction swept over Ves. The projection of the sand-blasted planet disappeared, leaving only the newly-named factory ship over his head.

The planet may be dead, but its spirit lived on. His factory ship inherited the name of the planet that had played a major role in his life and helped him lift off his career as a mech designer.

While Ves did not have much affection for the Bright Republic these days, he felt it was worth it to carry on some of his happier memories in this fashion.