The Worker Prince

by Bryan Thomas Schmidt

  “Agreed,” said Aron.

  A couple of others nodded and mumbled in agreement.

  “I’m not afraid to go,” Davi said. “It’s time I faced him. Besides, if I ever want to put the issues between Xalivar and I behind me, I’ll have to face him sooner or later.”

  “Of course,” Uzah said as he poured himself some Xanthian tea from a pitcher on the table, “the question is whether this conference will be the best place for that.”

  Following his lead, others began filling their glasses as well. Xanthian tea was a traditional soothant, often used at important meetings and conferences to help people relax. Davi poured his glass with a smile. He needed to relax.

  “May I suggest I meet with the envoy and hear the Alliance’s expectations for the conference before we make any decision?” Aron suggested.

  They all sat there a moment sipping their tea. Davi could feel a rush of calm winding through his body as the tea flowed down his throat into his stomach. It had been ages since he’d had Xanthian tea—once or twice as a child, if he recalled right. He liked it better than he’d remembered.

  After a moment, General Matheu nodded. “Aron and Joram will meet with the envoy and return to us. Then we can make our decision.”

  Davi saw from everyone’s faces that they were in agreement. Matheu dismissed the meeting without further discussion, and they all hurried back to their assigned tasks.

  O O O

  Xalivar entered his conference room like a hurricane. His military officials shrank back in their seats upon seeing his face. Some warriors these are!

  He paced in a circle at the head of the table, feeling disgusted at the weakness of the Council, as they waited for him to speak. He’d known the public had become weaklings, but to see the once-great Lords of the Borali Alliance reduced to sniveling fools was too much. He must step forward and lead the Alliance back to its former glory. He would do whatever it took, even if it meant declaring martial law and dissolving the government. The thought of that made him smile.

  Yes. Yes! I am the leader with the courage and will it takes to restore the Alliance! And I will not quit until I do! His fists clenched at his sides.

  He turned back to the table. Lucius, Pres and Dek reacted to the smile on his face with surprise.

  “You’ve all seen the news reports, I’m sure.”

  They nodded without speaking.

  “The conference will take place at Presimion Academy in four days. Lucius and I will be in attendance, along with Lord Obed and our aides. I want the fleet assembled and ready to attack upon my orders before the conference commences.”

  “The Council has ordered us to negotiate,” Dek said.

  Xalivar silenced him with a cold stare, fists clenching again. “The Borali Alliance doesn’t negotiate! If the Council has forgotten it, they are no longer fit to lead our people. The Council and the people have become weak. It threatens the entire foundation of our Alliance. We must have the strength to do what must be done.”

  “We live to serve you, my Lord,” Pres said. “But how can we go up against the Council?”

  “You answer to me, not the Council. So let me worry about the Council, while you worry about obeying my orders!” Xalivar’s tone and expression made it clear he would entertain no arguments.

  The leaders exchanged a look, then nodded.

  “Of course, we will obey, my Lord,” Lucius said.

  “The fleet is close to being assembled,” Dek said. “Everyone can be ready in time.”

  Xalivar smiled again, his hands relaxed and open. “Good, Admiral. I’m glad to hear it. Lord Obed will be arranging my security for the conference, in cooperation with Professor Yao Brohma of the Academy. Please make any resources you can spare available to him.”

  “The air forces will be at his disposal, my Lord,” Pres said. “We can move several squadrons there as needed.”

  “I am sure two would be sufficient,” Xalivar said.

  “It will be done, my Lord,” Pres said.

  Xalivar nodded. He liked their attitudes—total compliance. The Alliance would need more people with the same attitude to regain their former glory. “Very good. General, Admiral, see to it, while General Lucius and I discuss more details of the conference.”

  Dek and Pres stood and saluted. “Yes, my Lord.”

  As they hurried out, Xalivar took a seat at the head of the table, nodding to Lucius.

  “These are dark days for the Alliance, my Lord,” Lucius said.

  “Indeed they are,” Xalivar agreed his eyes narrowing with determination. “Let us work together to be a source of light.”

  Lucius nodded. “We will do what must be done, my Lord.”

  Xalivar pulled out a datacard and slid it across the table to Lucius. “These are the things which must be done, General.”

  Lucius began looking it over as Xalivar watched, anticipating the moment when his plan would finally unfold. The light from the reflector pads shone off the table with a sparkle matching the excitement inside him. All he had done before, all he had prepared for had led him to this moment. He knew the city outside carried on its daily business blissfully unaware of the pressures he faced. But his true greatness would soon be revealed.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Royal Shuttles waited at the spaceport to take them to Presimion Academy for the peace conference as Xalivar held one last meeting with his military leaders. He walked confidently into the conference room, hands flat at his sides, and smiled. The leaders waited in nervous silence, relaxing when they saw his calm expression.

  “So, my dear friends, is everything ready?” Xalivar asked.

  Dek nodded, a confident smile on his face. “The fleet is fully assembled and ready to attack upon your order, my Lord.”

  “Ground forces can be deployed as soon as the shield is neutralized. They’re waiting and ready to launch at your command,” Pres said.

  They each spoke in a rush, as if anxious to please him. “Good, good,” Xalivar sat down, leaning back in his chair at the head of the table. He could taste the victory. “General Lucius?”

  “Lord Obed informs me all security arrangements for the conference are satisfactory, and I am ready to accompany you, my Lord,” the General responded.

  The enthusiasm in their voices matched his own excitement at the anticipated victory. Yes, soon the Alliance’s greatness will be restored! “You have all done well, my friends. The Alliance will remember and honor your loyalty and dedication. Our finest moment has arrived!” At last, some officers worthy of his confidence.

  “We are honored to serve, my Lord,” Lucius said. The others nodded, then all three stood and saluted him.

  “We will depart at once,” Xalivar said to Lucius. “I want constant reports when the battle begins,” he instructed the others.

  “Of course, my Lord,” Pres and Dek said in unison.

  Xalivar stood and they saluted again. “May the gods be with us.” He turned toward the door with Lucius following right behind him.

  “May the gods be with us,” he heard Lucius say.

  Xalivar hadn’t been so invigorated in years. At last, a major victory to remind the people who their hero ought to be. Yes, he would be hailed as the hero who restored the Borali Alliance! He picked up his pace, feeling his heart pounding—Lucius’ footfalls behind him keeping time with it.

  Aboard the small floater on the way to the starport, Xalivar lost himself in thought, warmth radiating through his chest. He felt lighter than he had in years. Soon the WFR leadership would be shattered. His rogue nephew would be imprisoned along with the other leaders. Morale would falter. The rest would fall apart at the Alliance’s show of force. It would be a matter of hours before victory was his. Xalivar had no doubt. The best part of all was knowing none of the weaklings on the Council would have time to object. By the time they did, it would be too late. He chuckled at the thought. How they would whine and wail. He would see to their replacements after it was over. For now, let th
em whine. Xalivar had the upper hand.

  Knowing all this would occur at his alma mater made it much sweeter. He was a distinguished alumnus already, but these events would make him a legend. For the first time in a long while, he experienced true happiness.

  O O O

  Bordox sat at the back of the shuttle behind his father, who’d instructed him to keep a low profile until the right moment. Xalivar might have objected to his presence, but Obed had been told to handle the arrangements, giving him the authority to choose his own men. So he’d chosen his own son for two reasons: he wanted Bordox to prove himself to Xalivar once and for all. He also wanted his son nearby should the opportunity arise to finally bring down his longtime rival. This scandal provided the best opportunity since the Delta V disaster to see their family returned to its proper place on the throne. Should Xalivar fail to make peace, Obed had confessed, it was sure Xalivar’s family would lose the throne. Obed and his son would be front and center to save the day when that happened.

  Bordox had cleaned and pressed his uniform, determined not to let his father down. He had a career to salvage, after the embarrassing failure on Vertullis. He cursed under his breath. He’d had enough of Xander Rhii getting in the way of his success. The imbecile had been doing it since the Academy and it was time Bordox turned things around on him. He would do whatever necessary to ensure his nemesis was tried for treason.

  It gave him immense pleasure to know one of the last things his nemesis would see as a free man would be the wrong end of Bordox’s blaster as he helped put an end to Rhii’s freedom. In fact, he felt almost weightless at the thought of it.

  O O O

  While waiting for the shuttle to depart, Davi thought over how much his life had changed in the past few months.

  He’d spent the prior evening at Lura’s house, having dinner with Lura, Tela, Nila, and Nila’s family. While Davi relaxed, confident the peace conference would come off without a problem, everyone else worried he would be walking into the arms of the enemy. He’d done his best to reassure them. He had known Xalivar his whole life. His uncle had always treated him like a son. Yes, Xalivar felt angry and betrayed by him, but Davi couldn’t believe Xalivar would ever harm him. On top of everything else, the Council and population of the Alliance had been pressing for peace. Xalivar knew his options were limited. He would grouse and growl but some compromise had to be found.

  Lura interrupted his thoughts by raising her glass of Talis to propose a toast. “Here’s to Captain Davi Rhii, a true hero for our people.” She choked up as she said it, and Nila reached over to hug her aunt to her.

  “Here! Here!” the others said, as they tapped their glasses to hers.

  Davi tried not to blush. “I’ve done what was right,” he said. “I deserve no praise for it.”

  “You’ve risen well beyond the call of duty,” Tela said. “We wouldn’t have the air forces we have if it weren’t for you.”

  “I know I would have never been able to fly,” Nila said.

  Davi smiled. “You succeeded because of your ability, not mine.” He was so proud of his cousin.

  “You taught me everything I know,” Nila said, refusing to let him off the hook. They raised their glasses again and clanked them together.

  “Your father would be very proud,” Lura said. “We used to imagine the future, as we waited for you to be born. It was so hard for us, because we wanted a child very much but weren’t sure what kind of world we’d be bringing you into. Life as a slave was not what we wanted for you.”

  Davi smiled. “Soon, none of us will have to live as slaves any longer.”

  “Thanks to you,” Tela said.

  Davi focused his eyes on his plate, embarrassed. They seemed determined to give him far too much credit. He hadn’t acted alone.

  Tela continued, “You’ve provided the leadership we needed to succeed. Without your knowledge and skills, we would have failed.”

  “All of the leaders are good men. I’m not so important,” Davi said, sipping his own Talis and hoping the moment would pass.

  “I wish your father could see you now,” Lura said, her eyes growing misty. “You have become so much more than we could have ever imagined.”

  Davi stood and moved around the table toward her. “You’ll see him again someday, I promise.” They embraced as tears filled both of their eyes.

  “From your mouth to God’s ears,” Lura said. “It’s all I have left to hope for.”

  “I promise as soon as the peace conference is over, I’ll find him,” Davi said, meaning every word, and his chest felt lighter saying them. For a moment, he believed it was possible.

  The others wiped their eyes, fighting back tears. “Wow, Captain, you sure know how to bring people down, don’t you?” Tela teased.

  They all laughed. Lura smiled, wiping her eyes. “And I can’t wait for Sol to meet you, too, Tela. You’ll make such a fine addition to our family.”

  Tela smiled. “Thank you.” She looked straight at Davi, who tried not to meet her eyes as he moved back to his seat.

  Nila chuckled, picking up on the cue. “Yes, so did you discuss it yet? You’re joining?”

  Tela laughed. “Before I met Davi, I never thought I’d ever want to be joined with anyone.” Her eyes twinkled as she glanced at Davi.

  Davi squirmed in his chair. “Can we try and get the war settled first?”

  Everyone laughed. His aunt Rena patted his shoulder, enjoying Davi’s discomfort.

  “Are you saying the war is more important than me?” Tela teased. Davi blushed again. “Ah, the great military Academy graduate blushing, how wonderful. So strong you are!”

  Davi pretended to punch her in the arm.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

  Tela would be with him at the conference. Why weren’t they worried about her? As he searched his mind for something interesting to distract them with, Lura pushed her chair back from the table and stood.

  “Let us go before the Lord in prayer for the safety of our leadership and successful negotiations tomorrow,” Lura said.

  They bowed their heads as she led them in prayer.

  O O O

  Slipping out of the reverie, Davi looked over at Tela, sitting next to him on the shuttle. Thankful to have her with him for this historic moment, he lifted up a silent prayer for God’s protection, for Xalivar to be calm and reasonable, and for the hoped-for peace to become a reality. So much depended on this moment. Please God, don’t let us fail our people.

  Engines whirred and the shuttle accelerated, pushing him back in his seat. Tela held her breath beside him, meditating as she always did during a launch. The pressure eased as the shuttle entered its flight path. In a few hours, he would be face-to-face with the uncle he’d always adored. He hoped some of those fond memories and old feelings would make things easier as they met.

  O O O

  Rain fell as the shuttle landed on Eleni 1, the largest of Legallis’ moons; a soft, silvery drizzle which draped itself over everything then slowly built to a slimy, slick coating. Davi and Tela stepped out and felt the cold rain against their cheeks; Davi hoped it wasn’t a portent of things to come. A familiar dark-skinned humanoid stood waiting to escort them to the conference.

  Davi grinned and raised his hand, hurrying to greet him. “Yao! Good to see you again!” They clasped hands and then embraced.

  “You look pretty good—for a rebel.” Yao said as they both laughed.

  Davi turned to Tela, her eyes betraying her curiosity. He introduced Yao as a professor at Presimion. “Ah, so he’s the one you leaned on to get you through the Academy,” Tela teased.

  “You have no idea,” Yao said deadpan then laughed, turning to Davi again. “She has you figured out already?”

  Davi smiled and introduced the other leaders.

  Yao led them toward the cluster of buildings that composed the campus of Presimion Academy. Designed in a style befitting their age—Presimion was one of the oldest academies in the sol
ar system—the buildings showed signs of improvement; modern touches to the windows combined with outdoor lighting and modern landscaping.

  Yao led them toward a large building where a lighted sign beside the path declared: “Lord Killeen Library and Conference Center.”

  “The campus is quite impressive,” Aron said with real admiration.

  “Thank you,” Yao said. “We’re quite proud of it. It’s the oldest Academy in the system. Many fine leaders have graduated from these hallowed halls.” Yao stopped in front of double-paned sliding doors. “Welcome to Lord Killeen Library, friends,” he said as the doors slid open.

  They stepped inside into a reader’s wonderland. In addition to rows of video terminals and data card storage shelves, the library also housed a large collection of Old Earth books—the kind actually printed on paper. These were housed in special shelves enclosed in see-through fiberglass-like walls to protect them from damage by the air and other impurities. They all stopped and took in the view with awe. The shelves and terminals stretched up seven stories, reachable by a series of lifts or spiral staircases designed to appear as if they floated on air. Light from large reflector pads sparkled off them like the glint of the morning suns’ first rays upon a window. Combined with the ominous silence of the space surrounding them, it lent almost a fairy-tale atmosphere to the place.

  “Hallowed halls, indeed,” Davi mumbled, then heard it echo, amplified by the space.

  Tela’s eyes met Davi’s. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” Though she spoke at almost a whisper, the natural amplification made it sound like she’d leaned very close to his ear.

  “It’s reputed to be one of the finest libraries in the Alliance,” Yao responded proudly. Davi’s pride swelled as well. He’d always loved this place.

  They moved on into the conference center part of the building—a stark contrast from the library. Here white walls reflected bright light from reflector pads, contrasted only by a drab gray tile floor. The doors were inset but also white and designed to slide into the wall when opening. Other than the Presimion Academy crest covering most of one wall, the walls were undecorated.