The colonel shook his head. “Maybe later. Right now I’d like you to tell your people, the droids, and the aliens go back into your Stronghold and remain there. I’ll take you inside to meet my boss.”
“Uhh… no offense, colonel, but I’m feeling more than a little exposed and concerned here. Can I bring a couple of my people with me?”
“Two.” The colonel nodded. “Humans only.”
Allistor spoke into his throat mic. “Amanda, Helen, would you two join me, please? The rest of you, back through the gates. Our neighbors are understandably cautious. I’ll call if I need help.” He looked at the colonel. “If you get a notification that I’m dead all of a sudden, flatten this place.”
The colonel actually smiled at that, patting Allistor on the shoulder. “I think I’m going to like you.”
When Helen and Amanda had joined them and been just as thoroughly searched, causing Amanda to smack the man searching her, they were escorted across the south lawn and into the White House.
The colonel directed them to wait in the vestibule while he departed to report in. It was a good five minutes before he returned. “The Secretary will see you now.”
“Well, that settles that.” Helen spoke softly as they walked. “No more President. I wonder which Secretary it’ll be.”
“State.” the colonel answered, having overheard her. “Secretary of State Marschner is the highest ranked surviving member of the cabinet.”
“I see. Thank you, sir.” Helen answered. They were quiet as they were escorted down several halls, then through an office and into a conference room.
A woman smiled and rose from her chair at the end of the table. Holding out her hand, she said, “Before the apocalypse, I met several princes while performing my duties as Secretary. But I’ve never met a Planetary Prince before. My pleasure… your highness?” She left the question of how to address him in the air.
“Allistor, please. I’m just a kid from Wyoming who got lucky. I’m not big on formal titles, uhm… Madam Secretary.”
“Ha! In that case, call me Sarah. And these are?”
“Amanda, my princess, chief healer, and advisor. And Helen, my best friend and one of my official Ministers.”
They all shook hands, and she motioned for them to sit. “I must say, I’m fascinated to hear all about you. Especially about how you achieved your title.”
“I’m happy to share the story with you sometime, Sarah. But I have a few questions of my own, first. And a request, if you don’t mind?”
“Certainly. Let’s start with your request.” She put her hands together on the table in front of her and looked at him with eyebrows raised.
“My people are sitting in the Stronghold next door, sweating bullets, worried I’m going to catch a bullet to the head. Two of them were shot when they got too close a short time ago. I’d like to call in and reassure them. Also, one of them is an alien I brought to introduce to you. He looks scary, but he’s a friend and a gentleman. A merchant who could sell you some advanced weapons and other gear. Any chance you were a gamer as a kid?”
“Wasn’t everybody?” She smiled at him. “The colonel has already reported. If you’ll vouch for this… orcanin? Yes? Then he may join us. But just him.”
“Great, thank you.” Allistor took a moment to touch his throat and speak to his people. “He’ll be here in a couple minutes.”
While they waited, Allistor gave the Secretary and the colonel a short version of his story, beginning with his hometown being flattened and his family killed. When he got to the part about finding Helen and her awarding him the parks, he hesitated. “This next part might piss you off a little bit. I’d like your word that you’ll not react hastily.”
Sarah looked at the colonel, who shrugged. “Alright, you have my word. Shoot.”
He explained about Helen being a park ranger, and apparently the highest-ranked remaining member of the park service, with the ability to grant him all the national parks. When he got to the part about her forcing the entire inventory on him and making him a Prince, he paused, terrified they would try to force him to give them all back.
Instead, Sarah started laughing. Chuckling at first, then building up to a belly-laugh. The colonel did a little chuckling of his own. Finally, she took a couple deep breaths and spoke.
“We figured it was something like that. We just recently tried to expand this Stronghold to include the whole mall, and the system denied us, saying that the park already belonged to you.”
Allistor looked down at the table. “Sorry about that. It totally wasn’t intentional. And I wasn’t trying to keep it from you or anyone else, except the aliens. That’s why I sent a crew here. To claim and control as much of the important stuff as possible, so we can preserve it.”
“That was noble of you, Allistor. And I appreciate it. I would have done the same myself, but we’ve lost too many soldiers already trying to claim buildings. The lower level common monsters are fine, but we’ve hit some level twenty and higher elites that wiped out more fighters than I can afford to lose.”
The colonel added, “We heard over the radio that you killed a level thirty mob when you took Fort Knox the other day. Was that true?”
Amanda snorted, and Allistor blushed as Sarah looked at him with one eyebrow raised. He stammered as he answered. “Y-yes. I mean, it was a level thirty elite. The vaults below the New York reserve were a dungeon occupied by leprechauns.” He paused and grinned sheepishly as Sarah’s other eyebrow went up. “Really. Leprechauns. And the boss was the clan mother.” He began to sweat. “We, we just took Fort Knox and New York to keep the aliens from getting it.”
Sarah saw his discomfort. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to demand that you return the gold. Or the parks. You’ve earned them. And frankly I believe you’re doing good work. Your efforts to deny the invaders as many resources as possible are admirable. But I need you to promise me you won’t take any more depositories for yourself. Deal?”
Allistor nodded. “Deal. Though, I’d still like to keep them from alien hands. How bout we work together? I have the manpower, and droidpower, to help you clear the ones that are left.”
“I’ll think it over.” Sarah nodded. She was about to say more, but Harmon was escorted in. The colonel, having already observed the orcanin from a distance through a rifle scope, looked unsurprised, but wary. Allistor noted him tightening his grip on his weapon.
Sarah, on the other hand, stared up at the eight-foot monster with her mouth wide open for several seconds before she came to her senses. Allistor suddenly realized with horror that he hadn’t warned her not to call Harmon an orc. Hoping to avoid an incident, he quickly introduced them.
“Madam Secretary, may I present Harmon, of the orcanin race. Friend, ally, and merchant extraordinaire. Harmon, this is Secretary of State Marschner, the highest ranking surviving member of our nation’s government, which makes her leader of the free world. And potentially an even better customer than me!” He put special emphasis on orcanin hoping she’d get the hint.
Sarah straightened her back and held out a hand, which Harmon engulfed with his own and shook gently. “On behalf of what’s left of the United States, I welcome you, Harmon. I’m sorry, do you have a title I should be using?”
“No title, Madam Secretary.” Harmon bowed deeply, one arm behind his back and the other making a graceful flourish. “Thank you for the welcome, and it is my sincere pleasure to meet you.”
“Oh! Allistor was correct. You are very gentlemanly. I must say that is a surprise. Because you look like,” She paused, pursing her lips as she realized she was likely offending the very large creature in front of her. At least that confirmed that the colonel had passed on the word not to call Harmon an orc.
Harmon just chuckled. “Yes, my lady. We look like the race you recognize as orcs. It is a curse that we have been so maligned in your planet’s lore. As it is with every planet. I take no offense.”
“Whew.” Sarah let out a long-held br
eath. “I certainly don’t want to offend one such as you. Thank you.” She nodded and smiled. “Please, have a seat, and let us talk some more.”
Harmon looked down at the wooden chairs surrounding the table. Allistor looked as well, and thought they might be antiques, probably of some historic presidential significance. Harmon politely declined. “I fear the furniture would suffer badly should I sit, madam. I’m fine to stand.”
Sarah glanced at the colonel, who spoke into his wrist. A moment later another man entered in a rush, carrying a metal stool. Harmon accepted it graciously, and replaced one of the chairs at the table before sitting.
“There! Now, where were we?” Sarah smiled at everyone.
*****
Three hours later, the colonel escorted Allistor and friends out of the building and back across the lawn. When they reached the gate, he offered each of them his hand. “Can’t tell you how glad I am that you all turned out to be friendlies. And I’m sorry about your losses from before. My guys got a little nervous when they saw those droids.”
Allistor shook his head. “I understand. And there were no losses. Most of my people are high enough level that a single shot anyplace but the head won’t take them out. They were healed up good as new.”
“Glad to hear it.” The colonel held up a hand to say goodbye as he turned away. One of his men raised the gate for them, and lowered it again when they’d passed. Bjurstrom and the others met them at their Stronghold gate, full of questions. It took another ten minutes to fill everyone in.
“So, in a nutshell, we made some more friends. We’re going to help them clear some buildings they haven’t been able to manage on their own. They’re going to let us keep all the land and gold we’ve acquired up till now.” Allistor finished.
Harmon snorted. “Allistor is being kind. What the lady said was she didn’t have the manpower to force him to give any of it back if she tried.” Looking at Allistor, he added, “That one is devious. I would watch my back around her. I believe that the moment she is strong enough, she will attempt to take back what she considers hers by right of her office.”
Both Amanda and Helen nodded their agreement. Allistor sighed.
“That would be unfortunate. And I hope that you’re wrong, my friend. But I hear you.”
Chapter 10
Over the next two days, there were three more attacks by aliens. Only one of them was Allistor’s property, the Bastion in Denver. The other two were reported by allied Strongholds in Texas and Michigan. Allistor sent five hundred droids to each of his allies as soon as they reported the attacks over the radio. Both had joined him at Fort Knox, and had teleport pads of their own. With Allistor’s assistance, they fought off the invaders. The Texans took heavy casualties, but were able to seize the goblin ship that attacked them.
In Michigan, casualties were light, but the ship managed to take off after about half the attacking force retreated inside. That particular Stronghold didn’t have the anti-aircraft batteries in place to bring the ship down. Still, they killed about a hundred goblins, got rewards for defending their Stronghold, and most of their survivors got a few levels out of it. Allistor strongly suggested that the Stronghold leader quit hoarding their share of the funds from the Fort Knox gold and buy some proper defenses. He got no argument.
The battle at the Bastion, however, was different. First, it was an elven ship instead of goblins that attacked. Allistor had been sitting with Harmon and his advisors discussing the goblin raids on their allies. Harmon was telling them how unusual it was for so many different goblin clans to attack existing fortifications on a newly acquired planet. Especially when so much land was freely available.
“Sire! The Bastion is under attack!” Nigel interrupted.
Allistor and everyone else in the room were on their feet and out the door in seconds, running toward the teleport pad. Harmon was speaking into his bracelet as Allistor shouted, “Nigel, alert all fighters, everywhere! Get them to the Bastion.”
A moment later Nigel’s voice echoed through the halls and courtyards of every facility as Allistor and the dozen people with him, along with Fuzzy and Prime, teleported to the Bastion.
The moment they arrived, Allistor heard a boom and ducked down as a brilliant flash of blue light burst above him. Looking up, he saw the shield dome being struck by weapons fire, causing more flashes and booms.
“What the hell!?” he shouted, to nobody in particular. Nigel answered him anyway.
“A foreign ship has been firing upon this facility for approximately two and a half minutes now. The shield is holding, though the power drain is significant. Estimated time remaining before shield failure is seventeen minutes.”
“Are we not firing back?” Allistor shouted. “I know I purchased anti-aircraft batteries!”
“The enemy ship also possesses a shield, Sire. Our batteries are wearing it down, but it is difficult to estimate which shield will fail first.” Nigel answered.
Allistor looked at Harmon. “Can I purchase more batteries? Make sure their shield fails first?”
The orcanin shook his head. “Not while you are under attack.” He looked up at the ship above, squinting through the fireworks of weapons fire and energy bursts. “I don’t understand. Elves haven’t attacked a Stronghold on a new world in… ages.”
“Those are friggin’ elves?” Allistor shouted above the din of battle.
“It is an elven ship, of Imperial design. Meaning the Elven Empire. Though there is no crest displayed on the hull. Very confusing.” Harmon muttered.
“Nigel, get me Sam and George!”
“Go ahead, Sire.”
“Guys! We’ve got an elven ship attacking the Bastion. I’ve got maybe fifteen minutes of shield time left. I need those Howitzers of yours here yesterday!”
Sam’s voice came back. “We’re already moving them, boy! Keep yer pants on! Be there in less than ten.”
“While you’re moving them, point them straight up. This thing is right above us!” Allistor answered, wanting them to be ready to fire the moment they arrived. He knew it took a while to adjust the guns.
“Roger that. Setting them on Wile E. Coyote!” George chuckled in the channel. “Tell everybody to be ready to duck!”
People, battle droids, and orcanin had been pouring into the Bastion in small groups through the teleporter, with Nigel maximizing the group size with each transport. When the first group of orcanin arrived, the warriors looked up at the ship and began to grumble. One of them approached Harmon and spoke quietly. The merchant nodded in response.
“Allistor, I am afraid I cannot help you in this endeavor.” He hung his head, shuffling his feet.
“What? Why?” Allistor was confused and feeling betrayed.
“We orcanin cannot oppose Imperial forces. It is part of the treaty between our peoples. Should we violate it, we would be subject to slavery once again. No orcanin will risk this.”
Allistor’s mouth dropped, as did everyone else’s within hearing distance.
“The ELVES?” Allistor made the connection. “The elves were the ones who enslaved you?”
Harmon just nodded, unable to meet Allistor’s eyes. His warriors shifted uncomfortably behind him.
“Alright. I understand.” Allistor sighed. He didn’t, really. But his friend was clearly determined, and just as clearly felt bad about it. And this wasn’t the time for a long discussion.
“Any rule against you offering advice?” he asked.
The orcanin who heard him all grinned. Harmon answered, “As long as we do not participate directly in the battle. I believe I can answer questions, but I cannot suggest strategies or make recommendations.”
“Good enough!” Allistor started walking toward the gate. He climbed the ramp up onto the wall and looked out over the park. The ship hovered over the former capitol building, concentrating its fire on the dome that covered it. Blocks away, the anti-aircraft batteries on the near side of the depository building were firing up at the ship. But
Allistor noticed that only three of the six batteries there appeared to firing.
“Nigel, why are half of the batteries at the depository not firing?”
“They are located on the opposite side of the building, Sire. The structure is blocking their line of fire.”
A surge of hope hit Allistor. He looked at Harmon. “Hey, buddy. Just a general question here, nothing at all to do with this battle. But if I wanted to relocate an anti-aircraft battery that I already own during a battle, would the system prevent that?”
Harmon’s grin was wide, showing off his tusks in the flickering light. “I believe that is well within your rights, Prince Allistor.”
“Nigel! Relocate those batteries to spots where they can fire on the attacking ship!”
“Right away, Sire! Also, shield status update. Time to failure is now sixteen minutes.”
Allistor’s heart was racing, and he began to pace back and forth. Taking out his Barrett .50 cal rifle, he used the scope to peer up at the ship hovering approximately a thousand feet above him.
It had smooth, sleek lines, with lots of rounded edges and few sharp angles. There were half a dozen large guns protruding from its underside, each of them firing at his Stronghold about every three seconds. “Harmon, there seems to be a three second delay between rounds on each gun. Is that some kind of recharge time?”
“Yes, it is.” Harmon’s answer was short and sweet. Allistor looked at him, and could tell he wanted to say more, but couldn’t.
Looking back through his scope, he took aim at one of the guns. Letting out a breath, he pulled the trigger. A split second later he saw a flash as the penetrating round hit a shield and was rejected, making the shield glow red briefly. He noted that the shield was a small dome that only covered the gun battery, not the larger shield that seemed to cover the whole ship.
He took a few seconds to think about what that meant. “Harmon, can the elven ship fire through its main shield?”
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