His talk with the Rubarthans caused him to revel in his new position of superiority, but it also made him realize that he was allocating too much of his time on diplomacy.
Ves recognized the importance of conducting diplomacy. The downfall of the Hexadric Hegemony and the Vulcan Empire always served as the defining examples of how large and powerful organizations could fall. The people of these ill-fated states made too few friends and far too many enemies.
For all of his massive success, Ves never forgot that he was still an upstart in many ways. His Larkinson Clan still amounted to nothing in the greater scheme of things.
This was why it was important to maintain friendly relationships with all of the major players. Ves did not need to become bosom buddies with them all, but he should at least prevent them from developing a strong grudge against him and his clan.
