Page 34 of Coveted

Alana had turned her attention to the window, but he could see her peeking from the corner of her eye. It took her a bit longer to work up her courage to speak, and he silentlycongratulated her on it. Even for an omega she seemed timid, and she needed more confidence to survive as First Lady of Farcon 1.

“What is it exactly that you need my help with? If I know what the problem is, I’ll be able to help you address it faster.”

As much as he needed to get back to checking and approving the details for the new mine, as well as the Council meeting, Vax gave Alana all his attention. It was a smart question, but it didn’t have a simple answer.

“I wasn’t trained for this position. Never even planned to have it. The rebellion wiped out the people in charge, and I helped in the aftermath, making sure the injured were cared for, damage was repaired, and everything got back on track as soon as possible. No one wanted to take over the mess the Osmels left, but we also didn’t want someone who didn’t know Farcon 1 to be named Chancellor, so since I’d done all that and the people trusted me, it was natural for me to fill the role.

“The other Chancellors have had issues with me from the beginning. I don’t believe in all the pomp, and I refuse to bow and treat them like the kings they think they are. I don’t like a lot of the Council policies, and I guess I was a bit too blunt about it.”

He rolled his shoulders in a shrug

“The Council is pushing for us to increase output of the crystals Farcon 1 produces, but the whole reason I did this was to protect my people and make their lives better. The mines were unsafe, we were worked to exhaustion, and barely paid a pittance. Not only has production slowed due to me reducing the miner’s work hours, but the cost of the crystals has also been raised to cover the cost of better safety equipment, better pay for the workers, and better housing. They’re mad about all of it. They think I’m hoarding the crystals and raising the price just because I know they need them.”

Alana’s brows had drawn together, and she seemed to be thinking about what he’d told her, so he continued.

“The people of Farcon 1 threatened to revolt again if I was removed as Chancellor, and since that would make it take even longer to get what they want, they’ve let me stay, but they’re making things difficult. They raised taxes on imported goods, they hold shipments until they receive a certain number of crystals, and they’re generally making my life more difficult. My advisors think that if I can pretend to be more like them, they’ll be more likely to listen to what I’m doing and what I need.”

“What have you done to address their demands?”

She still sat on the edge of the couch, hands folded in her lap, so prim and proper. She even spoke like the other Chancellors, and he almost pulled his lips back and snarled at the question. Sucking in a deep breath, he forced away the automatic annoyance.

“I added an extra shift at the current mines and am bringing in more people for the refinery so we can increase output without overworking my people. I asked for permission to drill a new mine and they approved it in record time, so we’ve begun working on that as well, but they don’t seem to understand the time it takes.”

“So, you are mining more crystals and have plans in place to ship them out faster. You’re also working on producing more with another mine, but the excavation will take a while. Do you have extra people training in the current mine so they’re ready to take over once the new one is ready?”

His breath caught, brows jerking up. Varner had been focused on finding people who were already trained, but it wasn’t like there was an endless supply. Taking on newbies and having them work alongside veteran miners in the current mine was a valid solution to get the amount of people they would need, and it was so simple he didn’t know why they hadn’t thought of it.

“That’s a good idea. We will soon.”

Alana’s cheeks flushed and she dropped her gaze to her lap. It was a struggle to look away from her, but he managed, opening a message to Varner and typing out the suggestion.

“More workers mean greater housing needs, more demand for food and goods, higher need for healthcare. The workers will have families that need jobs as well as education. How are you addressing those?”

Vax paused, staring at the little omega who knew more than he’d thought she would. Who knew more than him apparently, because he hadn’t thought about half those issues. Housing and food, sure, but the rest hadn’t crossed his mind.

“I, well… Farcon 1 only has one city. The terrain is too mountainous to build anywhere else without major excavation, which we haven’t had need for yet. Each mine has a Camp nearby where the miners live with their families.”

Alana nodded but still looked at him expectantly.

“There’s a new Camp being built close to the site of the new mine. They all have a market area and a minor medical facility, but any major health needs are brought to the Medical Wing of the Administration Building. Everyone has access to transportation to the city for anything needed outside what the Camp provides.”

She waited when he finished before addressing the issue he’d avoided. He couldn’t believe he’d missed it considering he’d grown up in the Camps.

“And for education? Childcare?”

He grimaced, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck.

“That’s always been handled by the people of the Camp. All of the adults in most families work the mine, so older children or others not suited to the physical labor watch the smaller ones.”

Her expression was so careful he knew her opinion about his answer was unfavorable. Once it was pointed out, he realized hewas still failing his people. The only education he’d received as a child had been basic, as much as he’d need to do his job, and nothing more. Without offering something better, any children raised in the Camps like him would have no chance of advancing or leaving the mines.

His gaze had dropped to the screen, wondering how he’d figure out how to correct the oversight. Obviously the Camps needed a school of some kind, but besides a location and teachers, what did that mean?

Besides more guilt weighing him down, and another task he had no time to focus on.

Chapter Nineteen

Alana

---