The Cimalian Princess: Rebellion
by AJ Marks
Part 4
“Bomber?” Randy asked.
“Yeah, there was a rumor going around before the invasion that designers had finished with a bomber design to compliment the fighters. It would carry heavy weapons, never heard what they were, only that the bombers wouldn’t be able to be housed in the battle-cruisers and a new ship was to be built for it,” Meia said, thinking back to that time. “At the time I was a lowly Epislon class citizen, so they wouldn’t have told me much about it. They thought I only had the ability to carry out orders and nothing else.”
“So, we now have a new weapon to worry about,” Randy stated.
“New weapon or not, do you think we can pull off such a deception?” Jack asked looking over at Meia and Randy.
Meia felt unsure about it and looked over at Randy who seemed to be thinking about the situation closely.
“I don’t’ think the crew of the Akagi will be much of a problem, and the Bismarck, they both know Meia well, it’s the rest of the ships in the fleet we use which will be the problem,” Randy finally said after a few seconds of thinking.
“How many ships are we talking about here admiral?” Amy asked.
“At least two battle-cruisers, two cruiser and a half a dozen destroyers, oh, and add in a couple of scout ships and supply ships, say about fifteen,” Randy finally stated.
“Can this mission succeed and still provide a defense for the Alliance?” Amy asked, not looking over at Jack.
“I think so, the first fleet is protecting Corestar, the second is here at Pacifica,” Jack replied. “The number of the ships needed are already in the strike fleet so it wouldn’t be a large strain on our defenses.”
“Then we have a plan?” Randy asked as Meia looked on to see what they would say on this risky plan.
“It’s a go.”
*****
“Randy wait up a second,” Randy heard his father say and turned to see him walking towards them. “Can I have a word with you alone?”
Randy looked over at Meia then back at his father before replying. “Sure,” turning to Meia, “I’ll call a meeting when I get back for the crew to let them know.”
“Sounds good,” Meia replied as she turned and then raced out though the rain to the shuttle before Randy turned back to his father.
“What’s up?’ he asked, and when his father seemed to hesitate about saying anything he knew what it was about. The same question he asked himself many times already as they walked over into a private room.
“Are you sure about this?” his father said closing the door.
“If I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t have mentioned it,” Randy replied back honestly. “I think Meia has the right idea, the hardest part will be what she has to do, not the battles. That is a side show to the entire operation.”
“Meia, she looked fine, a bit nervous, more than usual, but I thought it might have to do with her being captured and cloned and such,” Jack stated.
“Well, that did, but she’s also quite shy about leadership positions, that she somehow lacks the ability to be a good leader. I blame her no good uncle for that,” Randy replied back to him. He had seen how she would do in leadership positions, and he had feeling she’d make a terrific empress for the Empire, and one who would spread peace between the Cimalian Empire and the Alliance. He also knew when it happened he would lose a friend he cared for a lot.
“So, you really think this mission can be successful?”
“Yeah, I do,” Randy replied. “The hardest part will be the rebellion within the Empire. We need someone to work with the group there and the warships.”
“Meia can’t be in two places at once,” his father said. “Last time it had almost disastrous results for us.”
“The only thing I know for sure in this war, Meia is the center of it all. How the war ends will be up to her wither she likes it or not,” Randy said.
“Now you sound like your mother.”
“Maybe I inherited some of her abilities,” Randy replied back to him.
“Great, last thing I need, another one just like her,” Jack said but he smiled. “I’ll let your mother know, she’ll be thrilled.”
Randy smiled at that as well. “I’m not sure I like it or not, but a feeling I have that she’s the key to this all, always has been. The more I learn about her and her life its almost as if the universe is conspiring to make sure she’s the leader of the Cimalian Empire.”
“We shall see, oh yea, I want you to take three battle-cruisers instead of two. If you do face that carrier, you’ll need the extra fighter protection,” his father said.
“That carrier, it’ll be something for John to work out,” Randy said.
“Ah yes, how is your friend?”
“Doing well, takes his time with the missions and operations, makes sure the fighters are trained to the best of his ability,” Randy said. “He still misses Pam, but he won’t say it.”
“If things hadn’t been so bad for the military I’d have made sure that situation never happened,” his father said as they were quiet for several seconds.
“At the time we had no idea what was going on, and you were more concerned with the budget than anything else,” Randy replied.
“I can recall, never expected Senator Lamic’s visit to mean he wanted to end the military, or course no one realized he was a Cimalian spy either.”
“Thought you were going to flip out when you finally found out,” Randy replied surprised it was all less than year.
“I was angry at myself, I sent a friend into danger without analyzing the situation which was in front of me. Something I won’t do again.”
“We’re aware of the enemy now and I think now the object is to confuse the enemy into thinking there is another side they can choice, a good plan actually,” Randy said.
“I hope so, we’re staking a lot on this plan. The new class won’t be ready for at least another year, perhaps two, and the Bismarck has yet to complete refits. I want you take the Hood with your fleet as well,” his father said to him.
“If you think so, they finally completed repairs to the ship?” Randy asked.
“Yeah, Captain Buck Etro will be the commanding officer.”
“He’ll do good,” Randy said, looking outside and seeing the rain ease up. “I should probably get going, tell mom I love her and I’ll try to get by sometime.”
“I’ll tell her, but I think she understands,” his father said. “Be sure to come back safely once more.”
“That’s the one thing I’ll be thinking of,” Randy said, giving his father a hug before heading out of the room and towards the waiting shuttle.
He looked up at the clouds knowing the rain was to keep up for the next couple of days and figured he should visit Alpha Centauri, a nice and dry climate for a change. He walked onto the shuttle instructing the pilot to head up to the fleet.
*****
Carl made his way back into his apartment knowing his wife wouldn’t get back home for another hour or so. Since the incident with Meia they had both been laying low and trying to avoid contact with anyone from the rebellion considering Meia’s warning. The buzzer rang causing him to jump slightly knowing he wasn’t expecting anyone.
He activated the communicator wondering who it might be and hoping it wasn’t anyone looking for him.
“Hey Carl, its Frank,” the voice said as Carl sighed in relief at who it was even as Frank continued on. “Its cold out here, you gonna let me in or what. I forgot my jacket.”
“Yeah, come on up,” Carl said, buzzing him into the building and walking over to the door cautiously watching for anyone other than Frank to come with down the hallway feeling relieved when he only saw Frank.
“You okay man?” Frank asked when he reached the door.
“Yeah, just a bit jumpy with everything that happened lately,” Carl replied back to him.
“You might say that’s why I’m here,” Frank said hesitantly. “The leaders of the resistance, they’ve been asking about you, want to know when you’re coming around again.”
“Then they’re crazier than I thought,” Carl replied back to him. He hadn’t let anyone else know of the warning Meia had given him.
“Maybe, but a lot of people are talking, you know that’s not a good thing,” Frank said.
“Figured, that’s another reason why we’ve stayed away,” Carl said.
“So, you do know more than you’re saying,” Frank said suddenly catching Carl off guard.
“Not really, just a warning from a friend of a friend,” Carl said unsure about revealing any more about Meia to anyone else. He really had no idea who he could trust anymore.
“Come on Carl, we’ve been friends for decades, worked together, trained together, and now this? I don’t get it, and I know others won’t either,” Frank said to him.
“Look, you know then I have a good reason for thinking the way I do,” Carl said looking his friend in the eye. “I have some things I need to work out on my own first.”
“What do you want me to tell the others, most already think you’re reporting back to the emperor,” Frank said. “You’re not giving me much to go on here.”
“You know I’m not, how could I be,” Frank replied hurt his friend thought that.
“So, this does have to do with that woman I heard about,” Frank replied.
“Yeah,” Carl said, sitting down and drumming his fingers.
“They are saying everyone died in that attack on the spaceport,” Frank stated. “Everyone who went with her died in that attempt, and the enforcers are slowly rounding some of us up. They are saying she was a spy for the Emperor.”
Carl thought about that for several seconds before replying. “What about the leaders?”
“They picked up Earl shortly afterwards,” Frank stated.
Carl gave it some thought and what Meia had told him and how Earl probably wasn’t working with the Emperor. He sat back in his chair and wondered how she had known and what to tell Frank. He had been a close friend for years but the stakes now seemed so much higher than ever before.
“All right, Meia confided in me she thought Earl was the only one of the leadership who wasn’t reporting to the Emperor. Now that he’s been picked up and the others haven’t, sounds suspicious to me,” Carl finally replied to his friend.
He waited but his friend seemed unconvinced at the words.
“This bout it. They know you’re part of the resistance and as long as you serve a purpose things will be fine. I started to lay low and what happened,” Carl said looking at Frank. “They are laying some of the blame on me. What if Meia actually managed to leave? You realize she is the rightful ruler?”
“I don’t’ know, I’ll think about it, but something doesn’t feel right,” Frank said heading to the door with Carl behind him. “I wouldn’t’ lay low for too long my friend. Things seem to be changing quickly.”
“All right, I’ll think about it,” Carl said watching as Frank exited the room.
Carl thought back to everything he had been told. Had Meia and her team failed? If that happened then the resistance had suffered a severe blow and most would never realize it. Trina was convinced that Meia was the daughter of Prince Boris. He decided to wait until Ewa came home before making a decision on what they would do next. He still felt uneasy about heading back to the resistance, especially if Earl had been picked up.
The more he thought about it the more it appeared Meia had been right. Could they go back to the resistance now?
End part 4