The Worker Prince

by Bryan Thomas Schmidt

  It had to be the workers. That much seemed certain. Who else would dare attack the Lords at their capital like this? Xalivar ordered reinforcements sent from all over the system. They wouldn’t get away with this. He would show them the power of the Alliance. They would not defeat him—the greatest High Lord Councilor in the history of his people.

  He paced back and forth behind the throne, cursing Bordox’s failure and his sister’s betrayal. Had she fed intelligence information to Davi and his co-conspirators? He would have to question her again as soon as possible. Yes, all those involved would be brought to justice. They would feel the iron hand of the Alliance.

  Chapter Eleven

  Davi pushed the joystick forward with a grunt and his VS28 fighter dove out of the cloud cover to rejoin the rest of his squadron. As he slid into the pole position, he glanced over at Tela in position off to his right. She smiled and waved.

  “Imagine seeing you here,” he said over the comm-channel with a smile. Despite the fact they were headed into battle, having her nearby gave him comfort. He knew militaries traditionally favored keeping lovers apart in duty assignments because of the fear they’d be too distracted worrying about each other. But Tela was one of the best pilots he had. If anything, he felt reassured knowing she’d be there and could protect his tail better than anyone else.

  Tela laughed and offered a flirty wink, then they both switched back to serious mode as the squadron formed up around them, doing so without the usual chatter. Davi knew they were all as tired as he was.

  It had been an amazing three weeks. After their capture of fighters and takeover of the planetary shield, the WFR stayed busy skirmishing with Alliance forces. So far, the energy shield had prevented enemy reinforcements and aerial attacks, but it would be a matter of time before the Alliance sent in star cruisers to break through the shield.

  The success of the WFR’s attack plan also yielded other benefits for Davi. Once the workers had control of their planet, those who had shown little interest in the Resistance signed up like wildfire. Experienced pilots from all over the system offered their services. Davi and Tela gave those who were local an immediate crash course on VS28 fighters, enabling squadrons to be in the air around the clock, thus allowing Davi and the others time to rest.

  Already the constant tiredness of the past few weeks had begun to fade. Additional fighters had been requisitioned from the Vertullis starport and brought back to the base, but fighting persisted around the starport and the Alliance still had access to fighters there. Davi and Tela continued training new recruits, while additional units were trained and added to Uzah’s troops as well.

  At a leaders’ meeting, Davi learned the WFR forces had gained enough ground to drive the remaining enemy troops into strongholds at the government center and starport. The Alliance had failed to recapture the energy shield control center but continued trying. Davi and the pilots reinforced the ground forces by air and destroyed enemy infrastructure and equipment.

  His comm-channel beeped. “Squadron One, commander,” he answered.

  Uzah’s yelling voice came through, struggling to be heard over explosions and laser blasts in the background. “Squadron One, we request immediate response. We have enemy forces pinned down on the east edge of the government complex. Please intercept vehicle traffic.”

  The Alliance had been making use of shuttles and floaters to launch attacks and move troops. His pilots strafed enemy launch sites as well as ground craft.

  Davi keyed the comm-channel transmit button. “Roger, Ground Leader, ETA six minutes.” Davi ran down the pilots’ various skill levels and successes, devising a strategy he hoped would work. It all depended on the actual positions and activities of the enemy once they arrived.

  The fighters glided over the tops of the buildings at close range, staying low to confuse the radar and maintain good line of sight with the ground. Davi divided the squadron into two groups of six fighters, assigning Tela to head the second group. “You go after ground weaponry emplacements first. We’ll try and take out any vehicle traffic.”

  “Roger,” she said. They exchanged one last look before steering their craft apart as their assigned groups formed up around them. Then each group vectored off toward their target areas.

  A few minutes later, the government center came into view. Two columns of large floaters moved up parallel corridors, attempting to flank the WFR forces. Their dark blue coloring made them hard to spot through the smoke on the ground but the shiny Alliance emblems reflecting light on both sides gave them away.

  “Dru and Virun, form behind me. We’ll take the group to starboard. The rest of you form behind Jorek and take the group to port.”

  “Roger,” the pilots responded in unison, all business now as they split into subsquads.

  Davi smiled, remembering when Jorek and Virun had pulled him aside after the air raids on the enemy starports.

  “We owe you an apology,” Virun had said.

  “We’re sorry we gave you such a hard time,” Jorek said. “It was just hard to believe we could trust you.”

  Since then, they’d become two of his strongest leaders and had started working with him like true pros.

  “Go for their weapons capabilities first,” Davi instructed.

  “Ah come on, boss! Total destruction is much more satisfying,” Jorek said over the comm-channel.

  “You can destroy them after you’re sure they can’t fire back,” Davi said, knowing that despite his enthusiasm, Jorek’s focus never wavered.

  “You got it,” Jorek responded, not big on comm-channel protocol.

  Both squads executed the plan perfectly, swooping in on the floaters from above, strafing them with laser fire. Outside his cockpit, multiple flashes appeared followed by booming explosions as Davi’s blasts disabled the front vehicle in the column. The next floater in line swerved to avoid it, but the driver misjudged his position, running over troops fleeing the first floater to seek cover, before crashing into the third floater in line.

  “Three down with one shot, not bad,” Davi said to himself. He adjusted his targeting and fired again, this time aiming for the laser cannons on the three floaters. He shifted in his seat as the VS28 vibrated with each blast. The cockpit started feeling stuffy as the temperature rose along with his excitement and adrenaline.

  Laser bolts flashed outside his blast shield, sending a few minor vibrations through his hull. Spotting rooftop snipers, he didn’t even bother to dodge. Blasters wouldn’t do much good against the VS28’s shields even at close range. He circled around and watched Dru and Virun dispatch laser cannons on four more floaters. Several more bright explosions boomed before the floaters split up onto separate corridors in an attempt to avoid their fire.

  “They’re trying to keep it interesting for us, boys,” Davi said over the comm-channel.

  “Good. Moving targets are so much more fun,” Dru responded. To Davi’s amazement, Dru had become one of the better target shooters among the pilots.

  Davi and three others swooped down in tight formation and fired. Laser blasts exploded around the floaters again. Davi’s and Dru’s blasts hit their marks, taking out more laser cannons. Virun’s missed, but he aimed again and blasted the floater’s engines, bringing it to a sudden stop.

  Troops jumped clear, seeking cover as Virun chuckled over the comm-channel. “That had to hurt.”

  Virun’s fighter rocked from an explosion and orange flashes appeared on its port wing. “What the—”

  Davi looked over to spot a laser cannon zeroing in on him again from the top of a nearby building. “Laser cannon, top of the Acron Industries building. I’m on him,” Davi said over the comm-channel. G-forces slammed him back against his leather seat as he put his VS28 into a steep turn and dove down, targeting the rooftop of the office complex.

  Jorek’s voice came over the comm-channel. “Keep your eyes out for laser cannons on the rooftops.”

  “How’d we miss those?” Dru wondered aloud over the
comm-channel.

  “There will be others. He really did some damage,” Virun warned them.

  Davi’s targeting computer lit up as it locked on the target. Lining up visually on the guides, he pressed his boots firmly against the floor to brace himself and strafed the rooftop. Alliance soldiers dove to each side as the laser cannon exploded. “One cannon down.”

  “Thanks, boss,” Virun replied as Davi steered into position above Virun and to the right.

  Virun’s starboard wing had black burn marks from the impact and a tear in the metal. “The damage doesn’t look unmanageable from here. Can you still control her?”

  “I’m not out of this yet,” Virun replied turning the fighter for another run.

  Davi and Dru both maneuvered into formation around him. Without further chatter, knowing what to do, they took out the laser cannons on the four remaining floaters, and then targeted their engines.

  As they circled around, Davi glimpsed Jorek’s squad making similar runs. In a few more minutes, the remaining floaters had been disabled and the squadron reformed around Davi, heading to assist Tela’s team. Davi brushed his clammy brow against the sleeve of his flight suit.

  They arrived at the government center to find charred remains of more laser cannons and Alliance equipment. One of the barracks was smoldering. In the beginning, the WFR had hoped to preserve as much infrastructure as possible, but Alliance resistance had made it so difficult they’d decided to do what must be done and worry about it later. They could always rebuild.

  “Leave anything for us?” Jorek said as they circled Tela’s team.

  “We were about to ask you the same question,” Tela responded in a singsong tone as she joined their formation. The rest of her team formed up behind her.

  A squadron of seven Alliance VS28 fighters appeared heading straight for them with laser cannons blazing. “Heads up, here they come!” Tela called over the comm-channel.

  Davi spun his fighter into a dive as two laser blasts exploded off his starboard wing, vibrating his cockpit. “We need to capture that starport.”

  “Let’s knock these boys out of the sky!” Brie said over the comm-channel.

  Davi chuckled. She’d come a long way from the lost teenage girl he had known in training. Davi glanced over to see one of his fighters crashing into the top of another office building, as the Squadron divided itself into pairs and began targeting the enemy fighters.

  “We lost Kinny,” Tela said over the comm-channel.

  Davi pounded a fist into the side of his fighter. Kinny was an experienced pilot who had joined after the initial attack. “Wingmen, cover your leaders!” They didn’t really need the reminder, but losing one of his pilots switched him into teacher mode again.

  Tela lined up on an Alliance fighter and unleashed a burst of fire from her cannons. The enemy fighter exploded, spiraling toward the ground. Tela let off a victory yell, “One down!”

  Davi lined up another in his sights, firing several sloppy blasts through its wing. It spun out of control. “Make it two.”

  An enemy fighter swooped in from above, firing on Dru at close range. Explosions rocked the hull of his fighter.

  Smoke trailed from it, and Davi could see the damage out his blast shield. “You okay, Dru?”

  Dru sounded rattled. “She’s a little shaky but I can still fly her.”

  Davi and Tela both dove in to provide cover, blasting in unison at the enemy fighter trying to escape. It disintegrated with a bright flash.

  Dru’s voice rose in excitement. “He won’t do that again! Thanks, guys!”

  “Don’t mention it,” Tela said.

  “Let’s clean this mess up!” Jorek said.

  Davi watched as the enemy fighters retreated.

  “They’re running,” Nila said.

  “Jorek, take the squadron and chase them down if you can. We’re escorting Dru back to base,” Davi said.

  “You got it, boss,” Jorek said.

  “Don’t let them lead you too close to the starport. They might launch reinforcements,” Tela warned.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be okay.” Jorek said as the others formed around him and peeled off after the enemy fighters, leaving Tela and Davi flanking Dru.

  “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m hungry,” Dru said, still totally unphased by the near miss he’d just experienced.

  Davi heard Tela’s laugh over the comm-channel as he keyed the transmitter. “Let’s go home.” They flew in formation back toward the WFR base.

  O O O

  Xalivar arrived at the meeting with his military leaders feeling beyond frustrated. Never had such brilliant leadership been undermined by more incredible incompetence. He hadn’t relaxed since the news of the first attacks, and the time had come to put an end to this folly.

  General Lucius, General Pres, and Admiral Dek sat around the table in the High Lord Councilor’s conference room, just down the hall from the throne room. The oldest of the three, Lucius led ground operations. He’d served first under Xalivar’s father and had a long and prestigious record of service, marred solely by his involvement in the Delta V disaster. He had Xalivar’s sympathy.

  The two junior officers were two decades younger. Pres, the sole female to rise to the top of the Alliance military hierarchy, was descended from the people who once ruled the Eastern regions of Old Earth. Her slanted eyes and yellowish skin hinted at that history. She coordinated air defenses, from energy shields to in-atmosphere attack forces. Of the three, Dek looked most like a soldier—his hair closely cropped, his big-boned, muscular frame emphasized by the fit of the gray uniform. He led the extra-planetary air forces.

  As Xalivar paced at the head of the table, Lucius broke the silence. “We’ve consolidated all remaining forces on Vertullis at the government center. We are seeking to regain ground and retake the starport.”

  “We sent reinforcements?” Xalivar looked to Dek.

  “Our men are waiting and ready,” Dek responded, “but until we find a way through the energy shield, they cannot be deployed to the surface.”

  Xalivar whirled around, his anger rising. “What’s taking so long? We designed the shield, didn’t we? We need those forces on the ground!” He clenched his fists.

  Dek flinched but managed to compose himself. “We designed the shields to protect against these types of invasions. Our attempts to weaken the shield with fighters and smaller craft have not been successful, exactly as the shields were intended to work. We’re preparing larger cruisers for a full-scale assault.”

  “Our forces have coordinated attacks on the surface using shuttles, floaters, and the few VS28 starfighters not under WFR control,” Pres said.

  “The greatest Alliance in the galaxy is being brought to its knees by a bunch of fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants workers?” Xalivar couldn’t believe what he was hearing! Had the years of peace turned his once finely tuned military into incompetents?

  “We’ve seen several gains in the last few days toward recapturing the shield control center,” Lucius said, the only officer of the three who’d shown no reaction to Xalivar’s angry outburst. Perhaps he’d been around so long he expected it. “We hope to regain control of it in the next two days.”

  “It’s been three weeks already! What’s taking so long?” Xalivar saw them all flinch at his screaming. “You told me we had the finest military in the galaxy!”

  “Our training is top notch, my Lord, but our troops have limited experience with real warfare,” Lucius said.

  “Are you actually arguing, General Lucius, that years of peace have made us soft and incompetent?” Xalivar stared at him, knowing he wouldn’t get an answer. Proud men like this could never admit their failures. He shook his head. “I want all cruisers in the star system recalled to attack that energy shield. All soldiers not essential to their posts are to be brought here and armed for battle. We must recapture Vertullis as soon as possible.”

  The three leaders nodded. “The cruisers have alr
eady been recalled,” Dek said.

  “We’re refitting some light aircraft with better shields to allow increased attacks on enemy positions,” Pres said.

  “How long will this refitting take?”

  “We can’t send supplies through the shields either, my Lord,” Pres said. “Our men have to reconnoiter and requisition required materials.”

  Xalivar cursed and pounded his fist on the table. “When am I going to stop hearing excuses and start seeing results?” He turned to the door as Manaen entered holding a data pad. “More bad news?”

  Manaen nodded.

  Xalivar whirled back to face the leaders. “I expect the next time we meet to be hearing actual progress reports, instead of more excuses for delays!” He grabbed the datapad out of Manaen’s hands and stormed out into the corridor without another word.

  O O O

  Davi reported to the command center for debriefing an hour after landing. Matheu, Aron, and Joram had already assembled.

  “We lost a fighter today and three others were damaged,” Davi reported. “One of those was nearly shot down as well. Repairs on two of them can be done in a few days, but—”

  Matheu nodded. “Casualties of war. It happens.”

  Davi fought to control his tongue. “Dead pilots are more to me than just numbers!” His face turned red with anger as he drew close to Matheu and looked him in the eye. How could he be so callous? Davi felt devastation at every loss, every injury, a feeling he hoped he never lost. Could Matheu really have seen so much that it didn’t matter anymore?

  Joram stepped between them. “They are to all of us. But people die in war. It’s unavoidable.”

  Davi stepped back, trying to regain his composure. Taking deep breaths, he centered himself before continuing, “We’ll need all the fighters we can get if we hope to continue this fight. It’s only a matter of time before the Alliance brings in star cruisers to blast through the energy shield.”