The Forgotten Empire: Earth Ascendant: Book Two
Page 29
“We have prepared the Palace for you,” said Governor Stein. “While we still have much work to do, the Royal Court has been restored.”
Layla nodded. “Let us go there. I would like to see what you have done. The Imperial Palace was once my home, as well as Princess Krista’s.”
-
A number of groundcars waited, and the entire party loaded up in them and were soon on their way to the Palace. Layla felt excited about stepping back inside her former home. She knew much of it had been heavily damaged, and she hoped all of it could be repaired eventually. She also knew she needed to make a good impression on everybody. What she said and did today would be long remembered.
The vehicles came to a stop, and everyone exited. Derrick and Governor Stein served as escorts, with everyone else following. Layla’s gaze turned toward the Palace. She could see several crumpled towers and large cracks in some of the massive arches. She kept the tears out of her eyes. It was difficult to see her home in such a state.
-
Derrick had not seen what all had been accomplished and was stunned when they stepped into the Royal Gardens. The cracks in the tiles were gone, and the walls sealed and painted over. The overgrown gardens had been cleaned out and new flowers and shrubs planted. It had a long way to go before it looked as it once did, but it was a vast improvement since one week ago. He saw Layla nod approvingly as she stopped and bent, smelling several flowers.
“I always enjoyed coming out to the gardens,” she said in a soft voice.
“We are working on them,” replied Governor Stein, pleased that Layla had stopped to admire the gardens. “It will take us a while to get them back to what they once were, but we will accomplish it.”
Layla smiled and said, “I’m sure you will. You have already made a very good start.”
They reached the Grand Entrance to the Palace, and Derrick’s eyes widened. The great arch had been repaired, and new heavy double wooden doors with the starburst symbol of the Empire had been put up. Several of the Imperial Guards stepped forward and opened them as the Princesses, Derrick, and Governor Stein stepped through.
The long hallway that led to the Royal Court had been cleaned up and all the cracks sealed and painted over. Derrick grew curious as to what the Royal Court itself would look like. He looked ahead expectantly, noting new doors with the Imperial Crest of the Empire. The guards stepped ahead and slowly opened the large twin doors.
Stepping inside, Derrick came to a stop in shock. It looked like a scene from the history books. The floor, walls, and ceiling had been repaired. Paintings, tapestries, and statues lined the walls. A thick red carpet led to the steps, and on top of the steps were two large high-backed chairs fit for a King or a Queen.
“How?” asked Derrick, turning toward Governor Stein.
The governor smiled. “This is the capital, and we have some of the greatest architects and builders in the Empire. We worked twenty-six hours a day to get as much repaired as we could.”
Krista stepped over to one of the walls, examining a painting. “Is this the original?” It was a painting she recognized as hanging in the Royal Court during her parents’ time.
“It’s the original,” answered Governor Stein proudly. “Many of the paintings, tapestries, and statues were rescued during the first few weeks of the Druin takeover. They were hidden in the bottom levels of the Imperial Library, where they’ve waited for this day. We have many more to bring out.”
“This is amazing,” said Layla, smiling broadly. “You’ve restored my faith in the Empire.”
The party then continued down the red carpet until they reached the steps to the thrones. Only Layla, Krista, and Derrick stepped up on them, Derrick being allowed because he was the High Princess’s military advisor.
Layla and Krista sat with Derrick standing on Layla’s right side.
“Governor Stein, will you join us?” asked Layla, indicting for the governor to come up the steps and to stand on the left side of Krista. “I believe you know everyone, and that will make this easier.”
The governor came up the steps and took his place. “High Princess, I should tell you that all of this is being broadcast across the Empire. Several trillion people are watching you now.”
Layla’s eyes widened, and then she smiled, recalling some of the advice her father had given her about large crowds and how to handle them.
She stood and looked over the growing crowd coming into the Royal Court. In minutes it was packed full of people and a large number of media crews. “I want to thank everyone for this wonderful welcome and the amazing work that has been done on the Imperial Palace. The Palace is a symbol of the strength of the Human Empire, and someday it will be fully restored.”
She was interrupted by loud cheering from the crowd. Layla paused for a moment and then raised her hand, quieting the cheering. “We have much work ahead of us. If you have seen the videos we have been broadcasting, you know of the history of Earth and the Imperials who were banished there, as well as the story of Sanctuary. You should know that our military never gave up.
“For over one thousand years they worked to build a fleet of powerful warships to free the Empire from the Confederation. That day has now come, and we are here.” She was interrupted again by loud cheering that threatened to go on and on. Once again she raised her hand, quieting the crowd.
“My father was High King Bramdon Starguard the Ninth. He gave his life so others could live upon Earth. My mother died at the same time. Princess Krista’s parents and my brother, Prince Aiden Starguard, were banished to Earth to live out their lives. We know from secret journals kept by the Imperials who were banished there that they did live long and productive lives.”
Layla paused and looked out over the large crowd. “I swear to you today that I’ll never rest until the House of Worlds is rebuilt and our fleet is powerful enough to keep the entire Empire safe from the Confederation. The days of Confederation rule and intimidation are over!”
Once again loud cheering erupted, and people started calling out her name.
Layla smiled and once more got the crowd to quiet. “At this moment the destroyer Starburst is broadcasting a new speech I’ve put together to explain our goals and how we will achieve them. Thank you for coming here today. You may remain if you wish, but I need to speak to the governors about the security of our Empire. We have much work to do, and there is no better time than now to start.” With that, Layla indicated for the other governors to approach.
“Your Majesty,” said Governor Stein, “we do have one large conference room near here that is fully repaired. Refreshments are there, as well as food. We could adjoin there if you wish. We would all be much more comfortable.”
Layla nodded. “Lead the way.”
-
For the next several hours the governors and some selected military officers met behind closed doors, discussing the future of the Empire. All agreed that it was vital to the stability of the Empire to restore the Constitutional Monarchy with the two Princesses restored to the throne.
It was decided that, for the time, being the sixteen core governors would form an Imperial Council to advise the Princesses until the House of Worlds was fully restored and up and running, at which time a new Imperial Council would be voted on.
It was also decided that all the shipyards in the core systems would be immediately converted to producing warships for the Empire. Most of the governors felt the conversions could be done in less than a month.
“Many of the cargo ships that arrived with High Princess Layla contain the elements of a defensive grid,” added Derrick, as he addressed the people in the room. “We have enough energy beam satellites and missile platforms to place a powerful defensive grid around all sixteen core worlds. In addition, we will supply fleet units to guard your worlds. We’ll keep at least one major fleet in the core worlds at all times, in case of an attack by the Confederation. We feel confident, between the defensive grids and the fleet, we can push bac
k any Confederation assault.”
“Will Earth be sending more warships?” asked Governor Bemire of Ambary Two.
Derrick nodded. “That is in the works. Our shipyards are working around-the-clock building new warships. We should have another full-size fleet available sometime next month.”
“In the meantime a steady flow of cargo ships will come to the Empire,” explained High Princess Layla. “They will bring more elements for the defensive grids, as well as attack interceptors.”
The governor of Glimmerr looked confused. “What are attack interceptors?”
Derrick looked at Governor Elaina Dreel. “A small three-person warship designed to deliver fusion missiles to a target. We have a number of ships in our fleets specifically designed to handle these small warships. We would like to base some of these on all the core worlds to add to their defense. They are very useful in mass attacks or in taking out damaged enemy warships. In the coming days I’ll be glad to arrange a demonstration of their abilities. They are also very easy to produce.”
Governor Stein looked at the Princesses. “We do not have the Royal Quarters ready yet. Besides, most of the Imperial Palace is not yet safe to even enter. It will be months before the entire structure is repaired.”
Layla nodded. “I expected that. You have already done far more than we had expected. For the time being Princess Krista and I will be staying on the Starburst. Our quarters there are very acceptable, and we have a special conference room that can be used for meetings.”
Governor Stein was relieved to hear that. “We have also set up a suite of offices for you in the capital building, where I govern from. I believe they will meet with your approval. I have also arranged for a full staff to be available. Much needs to be done, and we believe you will find everything you need there. We have also arranged for a special group of ground vehicles to be available for you around-the-clock.”
“Thank you,” replied Layla. “All of you have made this much easier than I imagined. Over the next few days Princess Krista and I will contact each of you individually to discuss your planet’s most pressing needs. Rear Admiral Masters will help in coordinating the placement of the defensive grids.”
“I’m curious,” said Governor Stein. “Earth has three major fleets in the Empire and currently all three of them are in the core worlds. What’s next?”
Derrick smiled. “Eventually we’ll place two of those fleets in the more populous regions of the Empire to ensure we can maintain control of those regions, if and when the Confederation counterattacks.”
“You expect a counterattack?” asked one of the governors.
Derrick nodded. “Yes, probably in the not-too-distant future. That’s why we want to install the defensive grids as soon as possible. We will keep two of our fleets in the core worlds until we’re satisfied all the grids are in place and are fully operational. We will also arm all the shipyards and space stations, as well as installing energy shields. We must defend those key installations, as we’ll need them to build new warships.”
Princess Layla decided the meeting for today had gone on long enough. There would be time for many more meetings in the coming days. “I want to thank everyone for coming today and making yourselves available for this meeting.”
With that, the meeting adjourned, and the two Princesses and Derrick returned to the Starburst.
-
Druin Admiral Kreen was waiting for his reinforcements. He had already carefully planned his attack on the Earth Humans who had driven him out of the Empire. He had sent in a couple scout ships, and he knew, at the moment, the three Human fleets were still in the core worlds. He was confident that, once he eliminated those, the resistance in the rest of the Human Empire would collapse.
“The other fleets will arrive in six days,” reported First Officer Falorr.
This was satisfactory. The Humans would not expect a counterattack so soon, and there was no way they could resist over five thousand Confederation warships. “How are the repairs going on our ships damaged from the battle with the Earth Humans?”
“Seventy-two are repairable, and the rest will be scuttled.”
This did not surprise Admiral Kreen. He had seen the damage the Human weapons had inflicted on his fleet. “Remove everything of use, and then we will destroy them.” The damaged ships would be stripped of everything that could be used to repair the other ships. Missiles would be off loaded as well.
Admiral Kreen returned to his command chair. He was still going through battle strategies to use against the Earth Humans. He was determined that this time the result of the battle would be far different than the last two.
-
General Livingston was meeting with Governor Lang in the underground Command Center on Lydol Four. “The defense grids above Lydol Four, Cleetus Three, and Bratol Three are nearly complete. In addition, we are installing weapons and an energy shield on our space stations. The shipyards above Cleetus Three and Bratol Three are being armed as well.” Currently no shipyard was above Lydol Four, as it had been destroyed years ago by the Druins. Plans were already underway to rebuild it. There were two space stations though.
“Can we defend ourselves against a major attack by the Confederation?” asked Governor Lang worriedly. The population of Lydol Four was only half of what it once was, due to the Druin bombardment from years ago when Admiral Cleemorl had tried to free the planet.
“I believe so,” replied General Livingston. “We have five nearby star systems that we can call on for support. We have signed a mutual defense pact, and all five planets, including Lydol Four, have provided warships for Admiral Marloo’s fleet. We all knew this would not be an easy transition, and I fear it will get worse before we see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
“How much of the Empire is now under Human control?”
“Nearly 82 percent and we expect to have full control over the rest in the next few days. The big question is, how much of that can we keep? If the Confederation hits us with a large fleet, we may be hard-pressed to keep even one-quarter of that under our immediate control, until more warships are built.”
Governor Lang nodded. “I was afraid of that. As I said before, keep me briefed.”
General Livingston watched as the governor left.
“Do you think he has any idea as to what is ahead of us?” asked Major Klower.
Livingston shook his head. “I doubt it. The military knows this war is just beginning and that we’ll face some victories as well as defeats. The Confederation will not give up easily. Everyone needs to realize this is a battle for survival, our survival.”
-
Derrick was in Princess Layla’s personal quarters, along with Princess Krista and Ensign Allert. It was the only way Emira would allow Derrick into the Princesses’ private quarters on the Starburst.
“I thought today went well,” said Layla, as she sat near Derrick.
“I can’t believe all they’ve done with the Palace,” said Krista excitedly. “I was amazed to see so many of the paintings, tapestries, and statues that we grew up with in the Royal Court. I feared they had all been lost.”
“They’re beautiful,” commented Brenda, sipping on a glass of red wine, as was Krista.
Layla reached over and took Derrick’s hand. “I’ll set up some meetings with the individual governors over the next few days. I don’t want to take up too much of their time, as they need to get back to their worlds.”
“I need to return to the Destiny,” replied Derrick, giving Layla’s hand a gentle squeeze. “The Confederation could launch a counterattack at any time.”
“We can stop them, can’t we?” Layla looked worried. Her light-blue eyes were focused intently on Derrick.
Derrick nodded. “I believe so, especially with the additional defenses we’re putting in orbit. The defensive grid around Golan Four is especially powerful. Between the defensive grid and my fleet, I believe we can stop nearly anything the Confederation throws against us.”
“Don’t forget. You brought four more battlecarriers with you, and all four are assigned permanently to Golan Four. Not only that but we have a lot of attack interceptors on board a number of the cargo ships that came with you as well. Those will be based on the surface of the planet. The Confederation has seen us use the interceptors but not in mass formations, like we will do here if we’re attacked.”
Layla moved closer until her shoulder rested against Derrick’s. “I need to choose some aides. So much needs to be done, and, while my father taught me a lot about being a Princess, I’ll now be running the Empire. I’m not sure I’m ready.”
Derrick smiled. “I believe you’re more ready than you think. You demonstrated that today. Don’t forget. You already have an interim Imperial Council consisting of the governors of the core worlds. We also need to find a Human Resistance fleet officer to be the head of the Imperial fleet.”
Layla looked confused. “What about you or Admiral Cleemorl?”
Derrick shook his head. “We need someone who is in the Human Resistance within the Empire, not someone associated with Earth.”
“Who?” asked Krista. “We don’t know anyone.”
“I believe the Human Resistance groups have several admirals who are commanding their fleets. We just need to find the right one.”
“Someone like Admiral Vexx,” suggested Krista, turning to face Layla. “He remained loyal to your father to the very end, sacrificing his life by staying behind to face the Druins’ execution.” She bowed her head as tears filled her eyes. “How will we find someone like that?”
“I’ll help,” replied Derrick. “We don’t have to be in any hurry, but it does need to be done in the next few months. We need to show that the Imperial Palace is the seat of power in the Empire and having a Human Resistance fleet admiral will go a long way.”
“Let’s talk about something else for a while,” suggested Layla. “Let’s talk about us.”