Night Come Down

Chapter 7 "All together now"

Kal'ia sighed as she looked at the scribbled notes in her hands, hastily written down with trembling hands. She growled and held her right wrist tightly, but they tremored still. She nearly crumples the parchment in her hand before No'lo came to her side.

No'lo; "It'll be ok, Vorta. It's the least of your worries."

Kal'ia; *sarcastic* "Thanks."

No'lo; "I'm sorry. All this government stuff is still new to me."

Kal'ia; "Truthfully? I'm still getting used to it."

No'lo; "Well, you seem like you're doing a good job so far."

Kal'ia; "We can't just record this and air it at a later date? Don't you have, like, a recording crew or something?"

No'lo; "Unfortunately, no. Besides, a live, rousing speech will keep the masses' attention."

Kal'ia abruptly turns to No'lo, a stern look about her face.

Kal'ia; "Do not, ever, call them the "masses". They're not faceless, mindless drones. They are people, and each individual is to be honored as such."

No'lo; "... Sorry."

Kal'ia sighs before speaking once more.

Kal'ia; "You're fine. How much longer until I'm on? I'm ready to get it over with."

No'lo checked his watch before speaking.

No'lo; "Um... About 10 Yiqotchoh*."

Kal'ia looked to her trembling right hand with growing frustration before No'lo gently held her wrist. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he looked in her eyes in an attempt to comfort her.

No'lo; "You're gonna be ok. I know it."

She smiled gently and slowly pulled her arm away, heading for the door. She opens the door, walking through a hallway at a snails' pace, on the walls were various photographs. She observed each one as she passed, with an expression that could only be described as nostalgia. She remembers some of these being taken, the times they were taken in. It brought her mind back to the fateful day she first met Vulcanalia.

She remembers the other Lorinthians around her of different clans looking on in both jealousy and awe. She remembers the pain in her hand, then her whole body, as if her bones had been set alight. She looks to her right hand; she still has a horizontal scar across her palm, despite the milennia that's gone by. Once she's reached the end of the hallway, there was a door with a large pane of glass, showing a large crowd of Lorinthians, wearing varying clothing of solid green, yellow or chartreuse, though yellow was the predominant color.

She stepped forward to a pedestal with a trio of microphones on it. She looked about the crowd a moment before setting her notes under the microphones, taking a deep breath before speaking.

Kal'ia; "Citizens of the Empire. I stand before you, as the new Vorta, the Empress of Lorinthia. As I speak, we are entering a new era. Where once we were divided among clan lines, we shall rise united as one people. One Lorinthia."

She glanced to her notes before continuing.

Kal'ia; "Some of you long for days past. Some of you whisper that this will spell disaster for us. That we march towards our end. I promise you this; we do not march towards ruin, but sprint towards prosperity."

She glanced again to her notes with ragged breath.

Kal'ia; "We find ourselves fooled by an outsider. A shapeshifter, no doubt attracted by our honor and glory. They sought to destroy us from within. Should any of their kind come again, they will not be welcome here, amicable or not. But do not think for a moment that we fight out of hatred for them... No. We fight out of our love for each other. For all of Lorinthia. We shall send probes to the stars, to be vigilant of any others who would dare to strangle our way of life."

She adjusts her mandibles before continuing, letting out a quiet cough.

Kal'ia; "Our future, though it is uncertain, will be bright with mutual trust. I will not let any one clan supercede the other. To make sure of this, my first act as Vorta is to assign roles to the clans: to give them a niche in society. Sto'kov'lore shall be of the historians and scientists, to teach us of our past and to enhance the present. Cysko'dro'ranin shall be of the craftsman and engineers, to build the future and design our paths. And Lor'inth Quasba shall be of the warriors and soldiers, to defend and inspire us all."

She looked around momentarily to gauge the crowds' reaction to her so far; their eyes are locked on her with immense interest, all their attention on her. She smiles briefly before continuing.

Kal'ia; "It will not be an easy road to travel down. Many of us will not live to see the new Lorinthia in its' entirety. But, together, our Empire will flourish, and all your descendants will look back on us with joy, for we laid the first stones of what was to come. For we are Lorinthians: The storms rage for us, and the ground quakes at our might. We will all work for this future Empire... As one Lorinthia!"

The crowd cheers and applauds as Kal'ia swallows a knot in her throat, looking around with a wide grin. She turns to go back inside the Capitol, but inhales sharply in pain, falling over face first to the ground, and the crowd goes silent except for the occasional panicked shriek. One of the guards beside the door comes to her aid, as the other runs off for a medic. Kal'ia has herself propped up on her hands before rolling onto her back, looking to her feet.

Guard; "Vorta, what's wrong‽"

Kal'ia; "My legs... I can't feel my legs."

One of the guards comes back with a medic, along with a stretcher. The guards hoist her over to the stretcher and carry her inside as the medic follows. Kal'ia was heard by the crowd one last time before she was inside.

Kal'ia; "Why can't I feel my legs‽"

* 5 minutes in Earth time, so 1 Yiqotchoh = 30 seconds