After Ves concluded his deal with the Web Mistress, a guard led him away from the center of the compound and brought him back to the shuttle.
The vehicle then brought him back to the luxury accommodations located in a highly protected location on one of the planets of Yernstall.
He remained seated while petting a disconcerted Goldie on his lap. He repeatedly went over his deal with the Web Mistress and tried to think of the implications.
One of the consequences of the agreement with the Red Association was that Ves had renewed and reasserted his commitment to partner with the mechers.
This was an important gesture and vote of confidence during a sensitive period where the Red Association suffered repeated setbacks.
The Red Split and the emergence of a shiny new rival in the form of the Cybernetic Empire had sparked a massive confidence crisis over whether the mechers were still developing in the right direction.
