The Worker Prince (23 page)

“No problem, Captain. We can handle it,” Virun said, ever confident.

Davi wondered if he’d heard right. None of them had ever called him Captain before.

Bordox and his aide pulled back into the lead behind Davi, firing blasts which exploded on either side of him. Too close for comfort.

Tela and her group shot out of the forest, firing at the LSP. Two more skitters crashed with mild explosions and flying debris and two others were damaged and smoking. The LSP soldiers slowed down and dissolved into chaos as they attempting to avoid fire from the lasers.

Another group of trainees shot out from a group of trees and surrounded them, firing.

“When did you have time to get all this organized?” Davi said into the comm-channel, as he glanced back at Tela.

“Quick thinking is a military necessity,” Tela said, grinning. “They were all issued blasters with their uniforms, so …”

Davi smiled. “You’ve never been more beautiful.”

He braked, sliding in between Bordox and his aide. As they passed him on either side, he swung a foot out and kicked at Bordox’s skitter. Bordox struggled to regain control but flew off to one side, as Davi slipped in behind the aide and shot at his skitter with the blaster, singing the side of its engine compartment.

Bordox pulled alongside him again, his face a fierce grimace. “You can’t escape this time, Rhii. We outnumber you.” Menace mixed with arrogance. Bordox as usual expected to win.

“You’re losing men fast,” Davi said as Bordox leaned over and grabbed for his controls. Their skitters banged into each other as Davi struggled to push him away. His right sweat-soaked glove barely maintained its hold on the handlebars of the skitter.

“I always knew you were a traitor,” Bordox said.

“I always knew you were a pompous blowhard,” Davi said, freeing his leg and kicking hard.

Bordox cursed as he spun off to one side.

Then Tela zipped up, firing at Bordox as his aide and another LSP soldier slipped in behind Davi.

Bordox corrected his course and charged back toward Davi, ignoring Tela’s blasts and somehow completely missing them.

Slowing and sliding upward with his skitter, Davi watched as Bordox’s aide and the other soldier flew right underneath him. Distracted, both turned, crashing into each other as Davi dropped down to fire on them from behind.

Bordox headed straight for his nemesis again, but Davi rolled his skitter, dove off, and landed on his feet in the dirt. He aimed his blaster and fired at Bordox, forcing him to turn suddenly and crash his skitter into Davi’s. The impact sent Bordox flying off into the cedars. Both skitters sputtered and smoked, amid a field of debris.

Tela turned her skitter back and slowed down beside Davi, who hopped on behind her as the other trainees raced up beside them. For the first time in several minutes, he could breathe a bit easier again. He wrapped his arms around her waist, enjoying the touch and smell of her sweat mixed with perfume.

“We’ve got them on the run,” Virun said triumphantly.

“Want us to go back and finish this?” Jorek said, sounding a bit too eager.

“No, get the others and get back to the hangar,” Davi said.

“At least they don’t know where the base is,” Tela said.

“They know enough to keep looking for us here,” Davi said. “It’ll be a matter of time. We have to warn everyone. The forest won’t be our refuge much longer.”

Tela nodded as the group brought their skitters to full speed and sped away, disappearing into the trees.

Davi looked back; no LSP soldiers were following them. He blinked, double checking his vision. He couldn’t believe they’d gotten away. Maybe his trainees deserved more confidence than he’d had in them. He took a deep breath and leaned in close to Tela, enjoying the ride.

Virun and Jorek passed them, smiling and laughing and enjoying it more than they should. He didn’t have time to worry about it now. He had to get back to the leaders at the base and warn them. Then Bordox’s curses drifted through the nearby trees.

“Get after them! You know the High Lord Councilor’s orders! I won’t disappoint him again,” Bordox shouted.

Xalivar? Davi’s uncle had sent his worst rival after him? The one man who had hated him for years and tried to destroy him? Davi couldn’t believe his ears.

The revving of skitters and crashing through nearby brush shook him from his thoughts. He had to go before they found him again.

He tapped Tela on the shoulder and she turned the skitter, racing off across the forest trails, while inside, his mind raced through a gamut of emotions at what he’d learned.

O O O

Bordox gave up trying to dust off the dirt clinging to his sweaty uniform and looked around for his skitter. It was a disaster, destroyed along with Rhii’s. His men were scattered everywhere. His body ached from bruises and scratches but he could walk, and he pounded his boots on the dirt as he went.

Corsi ran toward him. “Are you okay, sir?”

“Don’t stop. Catch them!” Bordox’s voice was full of frustration.

“It would be a little difficult at the moment,” Corsi said, motioning to several crashed skitters.

“Get the men regrouped now and go after them!” Bordox yelled.
A bunch of untrained workers against LSP troops?
Bordox couldn’t believe it. How could they have embarrassed him again? Furious, he drew his blaster and fired at a nearby cedar. He’d find the next available skitter and go after Rhii himself. Let the men fend for themselves.

“Yes, sir,” Corsi nodded, but his face questioned whether it would matter.

Bordox ignored him and focused on finding a ride.

O O O

Davi entered the command center at a run, having left Tela behind to wait for and gather the others. It was busier than he’d ever seen it with technicians and workers occupying every chair, fiddling with dials, adjusting wires and screens, and talking on communicators. Final preparations were underway for what lay ahead.

He found General Matheu and the other leaders in the conference room. “Our training today was interrupted by LSP troops searching the forest,” Davi blurted out as he entered almost out of breath.

“So we heard,” Uzah said.

“What were they looking for?” Aron asked.

“Me,” Davi said.

They all looked at him with surprise.

“It’s true,” Tela confirmed, arriving out of breath as he answered and slipping into the room.

“Why would they be looking for you?” General Matheu asked.

“I’m wanted for questioning in the murder of a guard who was beating my cousin Nila. His death was accidental, but the Council brought charges.” Davi sat in an open chair, trying to catch his breath. Tela sat next to him, as every eye in the room focused on them.

“Against a member of the Royal Family?” Joram said with surprise.

“One who questioned worker policies, yes,” Davi said. “And I suppose I’m also wanted for betraying the Alliance.” He wondered if the minds of those who’d doubted him would change now.

“It’s clear your chance encounter with them during previous training was not forgotten. They must have been searching for weeks now,” Aron said sympathetically.

“Which means we have been discovered. We must put our plan into action right away,” General Matheu said, standing and walking over to examine some charts hanging on the wall.

“You’re sure you didn’t lead them back to the base?” Joram asked, as he moved over to join Matheu at the charts.

Davi whirled and glared at him. “What will it take for you to trust me?”

“We just need to know if they’ve discovered our location,” Joram responded, blanching at Davi’s harsh tone.

“I’ve been with you for months now, training pilots, and helping you. What’s it gonna take to prove myself?”

“The decoders already confirmed your story about the e-post,” Aron said, putting a hand on Davi’s arm.

“You have our trust now,” Uzah added with a nod.

Davi glanced around at the leaders. Even General Matheu’s face looked supportive. Tela smiled reassuringly. He sighed, realizing he’d made an ass of himself and his shoulders sunk. “I’m sorry.”

Uzah shook his head. “No. I think we deserved that.”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you yet,” Aron said. “I’m sorry.”

“We’re sorry, too,” Joram added.

Davi met their eyes one by one and saw that they meant it, then took a deep breath, releasing the anger, and remembered he hadn’t answered Joram’s question. “It won’t matter if they followed me or not. The man leading them is a rival of mine from the Academy. He won’t stop until he captures or kills me.”

“We can’t wait until we’re discovered,” Aron said.

“We must prepare final plans and brief our teams,” Uzah said as they all nodded in agreement.

Feeling guilty for being the cause of this, Davi looked away. Rushing into battle could cause extra loss of lives. He wished they had another way.

Aron noticed Davi’s sullen face and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Davi. It was a matter of time.” Davi still felt responsible.

“Yes, our time for execution was drawing near regardless. Now we will act while we can still hope for some element of surprise,” General Matheu said.

The others all looked at Davi with anxious smiles. “My trainees are ready,” Davi said. “They now have actual experience in combat.”

Aron laughed, patting him on the back. The others laughed too, encouraged at the thought.

“They’re about to get a lot more,” Matheu added, his narrowing eyes making it clear he hoped they were all ready.

“Let’s commit our plans to the Lord and He will guide us,” Uzah said.

The others mumbled agreement, bowing their heads.

O O O

The Leaders met for several hours, after which Davi joined Tela at Lura’s quarters for dinner. His mother had prepared beef with gixi sauce, accompanied by fried gixi and fresh jax salad. The fruits added just the right sweetness to go with the beef and red wine.

As they finished the meal, Lura raised a glass in toast. “A salute to the brave men and women who will accompany you both into this battle.”

Davi and Tela raised their glasses, clinking them against hers. “And to all those who support us here at home,” Tela said.

“Hear! Hear!” Davi said, smiling, as they sipped their wine. It brought warmth to his whole body as it flowed down his throat. He wondered how long it would be until he could relax like this again.

“May God protect you and give you wisdom,” Lura said.

“May God protect us all,” Davi said, placing his hand over hers atop the table.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. “I’m very proud of you,” Lura said.

“I’m proud to be your son,” Davi said.

Lura’s eyes grew moist, tears forming at their corners. “I wish your father were here, he would be so proud. He fought with Aron and Joram in the revolution twenty-five years ago.”

The Vertullians always referred to the Delta V incident as The Revolution. In truth, it had been incited by a massacre in which Xalivar participated, footage of which had been all over the Boralian news nets lately. The actual revolution was the workers’ armed response to the massacre, which although determined, had been quickly put down. “One day we’ll find him,” Davi said, knowing he would give it his best.

“It’s more than I could hope for,” Lura said.

For a moment, he considered sharing with her what Tela had told him, but then thought better of it. False hope would end up making things worse in the long run. “I’m sure he’s here in spirit,” Davi said, squeezing Lura’s hand again. She smiled and nodded approvingly.

“I wish my father could be here as well,” Tela said. “And my mother.”

“What happened to them?” Lura wondered.

“Dad disappeared a while ago. Another one of those unanswered mysteries that we’re just supposed to accept. Then Mom died in an accident two years ago.” Tela refuse to make eye contact.

“So you’re alone?” Lura reached over with her other hand and placed it on top of Tela’s, squeezing. “We’re your family now.”

Tela smiled and exchanged a look with Davi, whose heart warmed at his mother’s kindness. “I feel blessed.” Tela said.

“We’re all very blessed,” Lura said, nodding.

They bowed their heads and prayed for the battle ahead, committing their actions and plans to God and asking for wisdom, guidance, and safety through whatever came.

Davi had difficulty accepting that the actions he and others made might lead to the deaths of many old friends. But he knew the higher cause always required sacrifice, and, in the end, it would be worth the losses for his people to be free again. He thought about Tela, wondering if their relationship would have a chance to flourish or if this war would mark the end of it. He brushed the thoughts away. He couldn’t afford to be distracted at a time like this. He had to appreciate the time they had while hoping in the future God would provide for them, whatever it was. As their Scriptures said, God’s plan was perfect: a future full of hope.

O O O

Davi kissed Tela goodbye moments before launch. They’d stopped hiding their relationship from anyone now. The trainees had overheard them in the forest anyhow, and it seemed pointless when there were much greater matters at hand to worry about.

As flight crews performed final pre-flight preparations on their shuttles, Davi went over and over the plan of attack. Uzah had obtained schedules of regular fighter patrols on both Vertullis and Legallis. The fighters were kept on the ground for several hours a week for routine maintenance. The attacks were timed to coincide with one of those periods. The ground assaults on the Vertullis starport, energy shield control center, and government center would be timed to coincide with the attacks at the starports.

Davi watched the first shuttle launch anxiously—excitement mixed with nervousness and fear—carrying Tela and her team toward the starport on Legallis. He had assigned her the majority of his most experienced pilots—Virun, Jorek, and seventeen others—since her mission would require the most flight skill and involved the most possible risk of counterattack. Davi assigned Nila, Dru, Brie and sixteen others to his team. The shuttles were being flown by experienced men who had once worked for Borali citizens as private pilots. Additional shuttles would carry Uzah and his troops to their attack points.