Mech Pilot who is an influencer who's never "dropped in", but shares a dolled up surplus unit for photos with other influencers.
I don't think I have enough here for a full story and I've got too much in my backlog, but this gave me an idea I cannot get out of my head unless I put it into the world:
There hasn't actually been a conflict in years.
The four main actors in the last war settled their differences, But realize that each of their economies would collapse if they stopped producing Mechs or no longer had a war effort. At the same time the rise of influencer pilots "stealing valor" and pulling off the aforementioned posturing rose to meteoric fame and profits.
The answer?
Fake the war. "Conflicts" happen all the time, but most army recruits either get brought into the scam, or put to work elsewhere on civil projects in the system. Takes a lot of work to stage everything, so keep that fresh blood coming in. Influencers keep the fervor real and the money flowing, and the governments could even settle minor disputes in big splashy battles, outcomes determined already behind the scenes. Hell, after a while the governments are consolidated into a single power, with "regional" governments kept up in appearances to make sure the whole thing works.