Erin was complete and utterly speechless.
Pearson's scream was no different than a sound attack! Even the tiny dragon hatchling didn't expect this.
'What is his level?' Erin thought to himself. He could sense that the dragon hatchling used up a lot of energy. Although it successfully resisted the sound waves, it was very tired now.
Due to Erin's orders, the hatchling didn't absorb any of the light energy even though it was tired. It was like someone starved being surrounded by an all-you-can-eat buffet that they couldn't touch. The hatchling's mood was so pitiful that even Erin felt a surge of sorrow.
Since Erin realized it drained a lot of energy to protect him, he made an exception and allowed the hatchling to absorb energy as long as it believed it wouldn't get noticed.
Overjoyed, the dragon hatchling slowly took in the environment's energy. It was careful not to alert Pearson. As it took in this energy, the extremely bright light began to fade slowly. Erin felt a lot of relief from this.
Previously, he could barely even open his eyes. While the barrier protected his eyes from damage, it was still extremely irritating to have your sight flooded with bright light.
After a short while, the extreme light started to be bearable. Though it was still very bright, it reached a point where Erin could vaguely see Pearson's silhouette.
As the light got dimmer and Pearson's figure became clearer, Erin noticed that Pearson looked very destitute. Thankfully, all of Pearson's attention was solely on the holographic screen in front of him. He didn't even notice the dragon hatchling that was absorbing the environment's energy.
In Pearson's mind, there was a sense of hopelessness and despair.
[The Clover Clan has approved the transfer of Two Titan Quotas. The receiver shall solely be Pearson Blakewood of the Guardian Guild. It is non-transferable.]
The screen in front of him should make him extremely happy. It's a pity that it felt like a divine gift being out of his reach. The last few sentences were like daggers stabbing into his heart.
[The requirement is that Erin Dawn receives a starship of equivalent value to one Titan starship. He must also be given the legal certifications needed to pilot it. If Erin does not receive these, this transaction will become invalid. Any time limit is at the full discretion of Erin Dawn. Other than that, the remaining terms of this transaction may not be changed.]
'Where the hell would I get a Titan class starship?!' Pearson mental anguish was unbearable.
Trading one Titan class starship for two Titan class starships was like trading a planet made of gold for two planets made of gold!
The quotas could be redeemed at any time and, with the resources that the Intergalactic Armada had, it would only take a year for the two Titans to be completed!
One year was nothing when compared to the value of one free Titan class starship!
He just didn't have the initial capital to invest in such an incredible deal!
'Who is this young man?!' Pearson finally lifted his head and quietly stared at Erin. 'Is he secretly the grandson of the Clover Clan's Supreme Elder?'
Aside from fully developed life planets, Titan class starships were basically the core of an Intergalactic Clan.
As one of the richest clans in the universe, the Clover Clan certainly had the resources and connections needed to have an active squadron of Titan class starships. That meant, excluding their reserves, they had at least 24 active Titans!
However, many clans did not have those kinds of capabilities. In fact, a single Titan could be the pillar of a high ranking clan.
Even the Guardian's Guild only had three full Divisions of Titan ships! That was only 12 active Titans in total.
Over the last thousand years, the Intergalactic Armada has auctioned off starship quotas whenever they needed to fund major endeavours. Titan quotas were the rarest and most expensive! The Clover Clan monopolized at least half of the quotas through the sheer power of money. To the public, it was unknown how many of these quotas were actually used.
Other than the armada, the only other factions with the ability to make Titan ships are the Intergalactic Academy and a few high-ranking Ancient Families.
It was no secret that the Clover Clan desperately wanted to be acknowledged as an Ancient Family. Hence, while they could not produce the Titans, they did the second best thing by establishing a group of Titans under their Family Clan's name.
Pearson was still deep in thought. While the Guardian's Guild did have Titan class starships, they were all considered core assets for the guild. Pearson did not have the authority to trade any of them.
Furthermore, he could not adjust the terms of this transaction. The guild would never agree to give away one of their Titans when it would only benefit Pearson himself. Although the guild would technically gain the power of an additional Titan, it wouldn't fully be under their control if it was owned by a specific Guardian. To them, it would be like losing full control of one Titan ship.
There was also the issue of getting the legal certificates. Even though Titan starships are equipped with the best AI for piloting, the legal certificates for at least one on-board pilot were still a requirement due to Intergalactic Law.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
It would be extremely hard to convince the Intergalactic Armada that a young man with no crew should get the legal certificates needed to own a Titan class starship. Pearson would literally be betting his life if he tried to push for this.
'What to do?!'
Pearson couldn't think of any solutions at all! His emotions started to reflect on his face.
Erin saw this and smiled. He assumed that the Clover Clan was generous enough to make it so that Erin could literally pick any starship in this metallic enclave! Otherwise, why would the light shine on everything?
'I wonder which Destroyer class starship is the strongest.'
Erin thought. Since it was an opportunity to pick any starship, he would go for one of the most powerful ones.
As the both of them were thinking to themselves, another planetary ship appeared and swiftly landed on the platform.
Charlotte and Alice walked out of the ship wearing cybertronic sunglasses. Even though the light was not harmful, it was still bright. The hatchling was absorbing the light energy slowly.
It gave the appearance that the light was slowly and naturally fading away.
When Pearson saw his wife, his depressed eyes flickered with great emotion and hints of pleasant surprise.
There was still hope!
Charlotte's parents were high elders of the Blakewood Family! In fact, Pearson's last name was not originally Blakewood. He adopted this last name when he married Charlotte.
The Blakewoods were an Ancient Family that ranked highly amongst their peers. They were one of the few Ancient Family's that could manufacture Titan class starships! Furthermore, as one of the few manufacturers, this Ancient Family had the rights to issue pilot certifications for Titans!
Pearson didn't have a bad relationship with his in-laws. However, it was nowhere near good enough for them to give him a Titan class starship and certificate either. Even though it would be an immense struggle, it was still far better than having zero hope at all!
"Oh, honey!" Pearson beckoned Charlotte to walk to him.
'I didn't expect you to follow us to the depot. How fortunate.'
He was thinking this at the same time.
Charlotte frowned on the inside. Her husband never calls her nicknames unless he needs something from her. Despite knowing this, she still walked over to Pearson.
Alice, on the other hand, walked over to Erin.
"Do you know which starships you're able to trade for?"
Alice asked. It was her first time in a military grade starship depot. She's never been here before because she never had a reason to be here.
Unsurprised by their appearance, Erin smiled and answered, "I believe there is no restraint at all. Your father told me that I can pick from any starship that lights up. When he activated the crystal device earlier, everything lit up!"
Erin was pretty happy. He honestly thought that he would probably have to settle for one of the smaller starships. Now, not only could he pick a destroyer, but he could probably pick one of the best ones for its class too.
As Erin talked to Alice about starships, Pearson looked like he was going to fall on his knees. Whether or not the transaction is successful fully depends on his wife's assistance!
"The situation is kind of complicated."
Pearson motioned his wife to look at the holographic display.
Charlotte glanced down at the words on the display. Her jaw dropped dramatically and her eyes popped out completely. The terms were beyond her wildest expectations! It was also at this moment that she understood why her husband was acting unusual.
"Convincing my parents to give us a Titan class ship is going to be incredibly difficult." Charlotte stared at Pearson seriously. "I don't think they would be willing to argue with the other high elders for your sake."
"I understand this." Pearson nodded. "In fact, as long as I can confirm one thing with Erin, I think we'll have plenty of time to arrange a plan."
Pearson finished his remarks and started walking to where Erin and Alice were standing. Both of them casually stopped their conversation when they noticed Pearson was approaching.
"Erin, may I please have a private word with you." Pearson sounded very polite. Alice stared at her father weirdly. This was the first time she ever saw her father change personalities so significantly.
"Sure." Erin obliged and followed Pearson.
Knowing what Pearson was going to talk about, Charlotte walked back to her daughter. Charlotte saw the confusion in Alice's eyes and was going to clarify the situation to her.
Once Pearson and Erin reached the holographic screen, Pearson motioned Erin to read the terms displayed.
'..Titan?' Erin saw it and paused. It took a moment before the realization struck his mind.
'Wait! ..Titan class starships?!' Erin's shock turned into bliss very quickly. He didn't expect the Clover Clan to be so generous!
However, Erin also realized a serious problem. The certificates he needed for Titan class ships were definitely not easy to acquire.
"Are the pilot certificates for this within your authority?" Erin asked seriously.
"Unfortunately, no." Pearson was prompt with his answer.
"However, I may have the means to acquire both the certificate and the actual Titan class starship. The question is if you're willing to give me the chance and wait." He got straight to the point.
'..Wait.' Erin understood the crux of the matter instantly.
After reading the screen, he noticed that the length for these terms were completely up to him. Besides, there must be a reason why the Clover Clan specified this transaction as non-transferable. Erin assumed that these terms couldn't be offered to anyone else.
"How long? Also, what are your chances of success?"
Erin's face was blank. It was difficult for someone to understand what he was thinking.
"Two years is all I need." Pearson answered honestly. "I am 70-, no, 80% confident that it will work out."
'Two years..' Erin frowned on the inside.
"Although I like the chances, the time-frame is too long. I am in need of a starship right now."
Erin explained his difficulties.
"Not an issue!" Pearson was scared that Erin was going to cancel. "I can provide you with a starship and the corresponding certificates. You can even choose from the ones available in this enclave! I'll toss in a high grade AI chip too!"
Pearson was still unsure of Erin's relationship with the Clover Clan. Although the terms said non-transferable, this is for Pearson's offer specifically. For all he knew, Erin could ask the Clover Clan to send out another personalized offer to a different party after cancelling.
This is something he wanted to avoid at all costs!
Although Erin's face was still blank, he was cheering on the inside. This was basically a win-win situation for him. He'd get a starship that he wants now and will potentially get a far better starship after two years. There was nothing detrimental about Pearson's offer at all.
"I appreciate your generosity!" Erin answered earnestly. "In that case, I am willing to wait."
Relieved, Pearson adjusted the data on the holographic screen and a list of starship category names appeared. He quickly noticed Erin's eyes were focused on the "Destroyer" class section of this list. Remembering Erin's words earlier, Pearson pressed this section unhesitantly.
With a smile, Erin stared at the many types of Destroyer starships on this list. He noticed one name in particular that stood out.
[Assegai Exodus II]
The Assegai Exodus was an extremely famous military grade starship. It's fame was mostly due to how extraordinarily expensive it was to produce. Erin didn't know that a second version of it was released.
Without hesitation, Erin selected this starship.
Pearson saw Erin's choice and sighed. That was one of the most expensive starships in this entire enclave. Although it stung a little bit, the thought of acquiring Titans later on made Pearson feel considerably better.
"Marvelous choice. That is one of the armada's most recently designed starships. It's power and quality are all top-notch amongst its class." Pearson smiled. This deal basically assured him the time that he needed. By this time, the bright light had already faded entirely.
The dragon hatchling felt very content with its energy absorption and the entire enclave was lit up normally now.