Carpathia IV: Episode 85 - The Toski Kari
Conference Room, NCCS Shadowdancer
Nalma didn't do a very good job getting through his agenda, consistently distracted by the contents of Kit's quarters. At least he was consistent, not that it made progression any faster. Some time arranging with Kit his joining ceremony to the Elai clan, then distracted by another shiny thing, back to the joining ceremony. Most often, he returned to Kit's little wood carving of Nalma himself, which he found especially adorable.
Nalma: I still can't believe you made this! It's so good!
But that wasn't the end of it, for Nalma spied the unfinished Shadowdancer carving that Amenaru helped to repair.
Nalma: Oh, you're making a Shadowdancer model! The wood for that one seems a bit funny. All those splotches.
Kit glanced at the model, poking halfway out from one of the shelves.
Kit: It got broken when they took me away. Amenaru kind of fixed it. It took me a week to fill in the dents and cracks with filler and then carefully sand it. You won't see the splotches anymore once I paint it.
Kit sighed and stared down at his desk.
Kit: They broke all my paint bottles. I'll have to wait until we get to Polaris Deep in a couple of days to get more.
Nalma nodded and tapped on his tablet.
Nalma: I'll add that to the to-do list. Maybe you can take Amenaru with you. He might like that.
Kit flushed and looked away, while Nalma held up his tablet and read from it.
Nalma: Okay, so Reylen should be catching up to our ship tomorrow and we'll work out the details of your joining ceremony since he'll be conducting the service. I've spoken to the Captain and he has agreed to have it on the bridge. Still working out where to have the reception. One more thing. I know I've asked you this before, but are you sure you don't want to change your name from Savea to something else? I mean, it doesn't offend us if you don't, but I'm surprised you want to keep it.
Kit shook his head vigorously, sending his ears flopping around all over the place.
Kit: My name is mine. If Father doesn't like it, he can change his.
Nalma smiled and tipped his head.
Nalma: That'll save a bit of paperwork, then. Has your Application for Disassociation from the Saveas been approved?
Kit: Yesterday.
Nalma: Good. Then we can proceed.
Kit's console beeped, followed by Joust's voice.
Joust: Ensign Savea to the bridge. Is Nalma with you?
Kit: He is, Commander.
Joust: In that case, both of you to the bridge.
Nalma: We're on our way, Commander.
Kit and Nalma arrived on the bridge, surprised to find it quite full with not only the usual crew, but with Minnie and Ramei from Engineering and Sorchae and Tamati from Medical. The only one who was missing was Joust.
Nalma: Oh, everyone's here.
Minnie: Summoned by Commander Joust. None of us know why.
Aire: Take your stations. I suppose we'll find out what this is about soon enough.
Kit and Nalma did as they were told and as soon as their butts hit their chairs, the lift doors opened and out came Joust holding a huge tray full of little popcorn bags.
Joust: Popcorn for everyone!
Everyone turned toward Joust with a wide variety of perplexed facial expressions. Joust paid their befuddled faces no mind and started passing out the popcorn bags.
Joust: Popcorn for you... Popcorn for you...
Quickly losing his patience, Aire grew grumpier by the moment as this circus continued with no explanation.
Aire: Now see here, Commander...
Joust: Popcorn for you!
Joust thrust his last little bag of popcorn into Aire's hand and took a seat in his chair. Aire begrudgingly followed suit while Joust munched from his bag.
Joust: Ensign Savea, get the Tokkimundo channel with autotranslation and put it on the main viewer.
Kit: Yes, Commander.
Nalma turned in his chair, his eyes wide, and seemed to be the only other person on the bridge who had an idea what was going on.
Nalma: Commander, did our contact with the Toski Kari get in touch?
Joust smiled and nodded.
Joust: It's all going down in a few minutes.
Ramei: What is Toski Kari?
Nalma: They're the Queen's royal guard and they also investigate threats against Tokkastra...
While Nalma spoke, the Tokkimundo channel came on the main viewer, silencing him. On the screen, they saw a grand hall with soaring columns and high ceilings, cathedral-like, if a cathedral could be as big as a football stadium. Rows upon rows of pews with desks lined most of the floor space, most of them occupied by haughtily-dressed tokki men. As the camera panned around the area, the bridge crew saw a massive rostrum far in the distance, decorated in red and gold and accented by silvery metal.
Nalma: That's the Tokkastran Men's Parliament. The main parliament is mostly women and handles most of the general business. The Men's Parliament is for issues specific to men.
The camera's focus wasn't on the parliament, however, but one tokki man hobbling up and down the wide, marble-tiled aisle down the center of the building. It was Rhalma, all bandaged up from his little sojourn through the door of Kit's cell. His lame body did not prevent him from giving a thunderous speech to the entire hall.
Rhalma: Look upon me! Look upon me and see for yourself what the deviants and corrupted in our society will do to achieve their degenerate aims!
Only a few of the tokki in attendance nodded in agreement. Most appeared pensive to the point of constipation and the rest ignored him, chatting with each other or engaged in busywork at their desks.
Rhalma: It is time to send a message! We must close down their dens! Round them up! Reform them so they may no longer be a threat to our...
A loud clank from somewhere off camera interrupted Rhalma's speech. Off camera for only a moment, for whoever was controlling it panned quickly to the back of the room to a set of double doors, at least three stories tall, with diamond-shaped bevels each alternatingly colored in red and gold. The doors opened slowly, eventually revealing two long lines of tokki women dressed in black, red, and gold outfits decorated in what looked to be straight from a fantasy novel. Each carried a gold-tipped spear and adorned expressions of grim stoicism on their faces. In the center was a single tokki woman who differed from the rest with an elaborate, bird beak-shaped helmet and a cape.
The tokki woman in the center did not move when the lines of tokki on the sides marched in, with each step landing on the marble tile in perfect harmony, a satisfying rhythm, yet terrifying all the same.
Once five of the marching tokki on each side had cleared the entryway, each stepped to the side and turned facing each other and slammed the ends of their spears on the floor. Five more passed those tokki and did the same and this continued until there were twenty tokki on each side facing each other. Only then did the lone tokki woman in the center step forward, the clip clop of her single footsteps contrasting markedly with the marching of the others.
Nalma's voice this time came out as an awestruck whisper.
Nalma: That's Zilyana, head of the Toski Kari. If she shows up to see you, chances are you're in deep shit.
Rhalma was silent. The entire hall was silent, aside from Zilyana's footsteps. She finally spoke when she reached the end of the line of tokki spear-carriers, her voice booming out across the hall.
Zilyana: I am Zilyana, Eminent Luminary of the Toski Kari! By order of Queen Maoh III of Tokkastra and by assent of the Royal Assembly of Tokkastra, I am here to arrest Rhalma Savea!
Most of the tokki in the hall cowered by their desks and even Rhalma seemed to lose some of his bluster, but still managed to sound a note of defiance.
Rhalma: On what charge?
Zilyana's steely expression did not change as she lifted her spear and slammed it to the marble tile.
Zilyana: The accused has a right to have the charges against him read first in private! If you so waive that right, speak your name and your intention!
Rhalma seemed to regain himself a little and he took a wobbly step toward Zilyana.
Rhalma: I am Rhalma Savea and I waive my right to a private reading! Let everyone in this hall know of the ridiculous charges concocted against me!
Zilyana slammed her spear to the ground again and looked up, past Rhalma to the Rostrum far behind.
Zilyana: First Minister of the Tokkastran Men's Parliament!
The camera cut to the First Minister at the rostrum just in time to see him give a little yelp and almost look like would try to hide under his podium.
Zilyana: Enter into the record that the accused has waived his right to a private reading!
The First Minister nodded hastily while Zilyana held her spear to her side. One of the spear-carriers at the front of the line produced a scroll from her belt and took Zilyana's spear, after which placing the scroll into her newly freed hand. She unfurled the scroll and read.
Zilyana: The charges against Rhalma Savea read as thus! Violation of the Carpathia-Tokkastra Exploration Force Service Agreement! Terrorism in the bombing of the MonoInvert nightclub five years ago! Treason against the people of Tokkastra by attempting to influence a foreign government against Tokkastran interests!
Zilyana rolled up the scroll and held it out. The same spear-carrier as before stepped forward and took the scroll and returned her spear to her. This time, the spear-carrier did not return to her previous position, but was joined by another from the other side of the line. Zilyana struck her spear upon the floor one more time.
Zilyana: Take him away!
Now, Rhalma was thoroughly deflated and, without a word, allowed the two guards to bind his hands and slowly lead him, hobbling, out of the hall. Zilyana, however, stayed and addressed the parliament again.
Zilyana: Let it be known that the Royal Assembly of Tokkastra has opened formal termination hearings against the Savea and Shanslee enclaves! Until such time of acquittal or innocence is found, all assets of both enclaves are now hereby frozen and the lands and properties shall be wards of the Tokkastran government! I have spoken!
With a flourish, Zilyana turned, her cape fluttering behind her, and marched out of the hall with the remaining 38 tokki who marched in before her. The screen then cut to two tokki behind a desk in a newsroom explaining that they were in the process of obtaining video recordings of Rhalma's crimes and they would be showing them as soon as they had them.
Nalma: I don't think anything like that has happened in Tokkastra for at least a few hundred years.
Tamati: It was something to witness, that's for sure. Is Tokkastran culture always so flamboyant?
Nalma: Not always, but if it involves the Queen, it certainly will be.
While those on the bridge murmured to each other about what they had seen, Aire leaned over to have a private word with Joust.
Aire: Commander, while I appreciate the importance of this event and why you summoned all of us, leave the popcorn behind next time.
Joust giggled sheepishly and tucked his wings behind his back.
Joust: Sorry. I guess I overdid it.
During Aire and Joust's brief conversation, the murmuring on the bridge ceased and everyone was transfixed on Kit, whose tail vibrated like a hummingbird's wing, so fast that it caused his tail to shed, flinging little bits of fur everywhere. Finally, he leaped out of his seat and jabbed his finger at the screen.
Kit: Mwa ha ha ha! Rot in prison like the moldy, rotten turnip that you are!
Dead. Silence. Every eye was on Kit, watching the insides of his ears getting redder and redder until he finally turned, hunched slightly and wringing his fingers together.
Kit: I said that out loud, didn't I?
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
