It's official! This chapter has pushed Faith in Chaos to a word count of 116,169. This story is now longer than After Everything!
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Chapter 3.8
The Emerald Throne
September 22, 1928 A.D.
City of Kapalua, Asalele, Kingdom of Asalele (Vassal of the Kingdom of Partoga)
Tantomile, Rhassa, and Sebakhira couldn’t pull their eyes away from the television. Rhassa was so engrossed by what was going on that she didn’t notice her drink spilling onto the floor. Sebakhira’s paws were getting wet, but she didn’t care. Tantomile absentmindedly pawed at a small computerized device strapped to her right forearm.
All three lionesses were on the first floor of the Asalele Library. They were joined by some two hundred other lions, and were all watching the results of the Royal Election play out on live television.
While the Royal Election had reached its climax around midday on Partoga, it was the middle of the night on Asalele. Many cubs had fallen asleep, curled up at their mother’s feet. Kaiako entertained the ones where were somehow still awake at this late hour. Cubs scrambled up and down his huge body as though it were some kind of playground equipment. He ignored them. Like everyone else, the only thing that mattered to him was the election results on the screen.
“Well, would you look at that...” Sebakhira breathed, “The Taihara actually won.”
“Why’d she kiss that guy in the glasses?” Rhassa asked, “I don’t remember them acting that way on the Shieldbreaker.”
“He’s a Mihaka.” Tantomile replied, “She’s probably trying to cozy up to his family.”
A news anchor on the television screen spoke:
“As is tradition, the new Queen will have a brief meeting with the outgoing Kuhina Nui before the Enthronement Ceremony begins. In this meeting, the Queen-Elect will choose her regnal name from the Book of the Forgotten, a historical text compiled by Queen Sophie the Merciful about 400 years ago. Once the Queen-Elect has been named, she will be sworn in as the Commander-in-Chief of the Partogan Royal Armed Forces and issue her first military orders. By that point, all of the preparations should have been made for the Enthronement Ceremony. The Queen-Elect will be moved to-”
Tantomile pulled herself away from the television. She gave a nonverbal signal to Sebakhira and Rhassa to follow her. They had to walk all the way to the other side of the library before it was quiet enough for them to speak.
“Rhassa, go back to the Shieldbreaker and tell the Captain to recall the crew.” she said, “We’re taking off in 2 hours.”
“Taking off?” Repeated Rhassa, “But I thought you wanted to stay here and study the Paradox?”
Tantomile shook her head.
“That was before the Election changed everything.” she replied, “Emerdon’s gonna bring Hell down on the Mangaia. He might even kill my Mom for naming a successor while he had his back turned. Mami’s gonna do her part in Partoga to tie him down, but we’ve gotta be the other half of the pincer. Get moving, Rhassa!”
Rhassa scampered out of the library, leaving Tantomile and Sebakhira alone together. They stared at one another.
“You’re coming with me.” Tantomile hadn’t made a request. It was a command.
“I’ll do no such thing!” Sebakhira protested. “I’ve done what you asked. I helped you learn about the Paradox and showed you where to find the library. I have no reason to stay with you anymore, unless you need a Harakeke fix that badly.”
Sebakhira spit out that last part with a little malice.
“I’m among my people. I will stay here.” She finished.
Tantomile reached out and grabbed Sebakhira by the shoulders, making sure to dig her claws into the scruff of Sebakhira’s neck. The old Lioness snarled and took a swipe at Tantomile. Being younger and stronger, Tantomile ignored Sebakhira’s claws as they raked the side of her face. Instead, she roared into the elderly Lioness’s ear:
“I’m not done with you, witch!”
Sebakhira snarled, her eyes began to emit a bright purple light. Sparks jumped out of her paw and ignited into purple flames! Before Sebakhira could throw the Soulfire at Tantomile, the flames were swiftly extinguished by a sudden burst of Psionic power. The computerized device strapped to Tantomile’s forearm blinked silently.
Both lionesses looked at the device, then at each other. They completely forgot why they were angry with each other.
“Wait...” Sebakhira said, “Why didn’t you tell me your Amplifier was working?”
Tantomile stared at the rudimentary Psionic Amplifier on her forearm and scratched it with her claw.
“I, uh... I thought it wasn’t working.” She admitted. “I was tinkering with it while we were waiting for the last round of voting to end.”
Sebakhira ran her paw over the Amplifier.
“It’s... not impressive.” She said, “Then again, no one’s first Amplifier is. Your tactile interface is crude and improperly set up, it’s not making proper contact with your flesh.”
She let go of the Amplifier.
“It’s basic. Keep building and you’ll have something reliable. Do you have any control of your Gift now?”
Tantomile shook her head.
“None at all.” she said. “The powers come and go in little bursts when the Harakeke wears off.”
Sebakhira looked forlornly at Tantomile’s Amplifier.
“That’s it. Isn’t it?” she asked. “Is this how you’re going to convince me to stay with you and go to Partoga? That’s pretty clever.”
Tantomile laughed.
“No! Not at all. I’m just gonna pick up a whole new supply of Harakeke from that old farmer down by the Shieldbreaker. If I can’t figure out how to use my Gift, then I’m just gonna keep it turned off!”
Gotcha.
Just like she’d done with Admetus so many months ago, Tantomile had figured out the right thing to say to get what she wanted. As soon as she mentioned keeping her powers “turned off” Sebakhira reacted.
“No!” The old lioness interjected, “You mustn’t suppress your Gift! It’s too important to waste!”
“Sooo...” Tantomile dragged out her request, “That means you’re gonna come with me to Partoga and help me learn how to use it... and make sure I don’t, oh I don’t know... accidentally blow myself up or something like that?”
Sebakhira realized she’d been played and groaned loudly.
“Fine!” she said. “But that's the last extension, Princess! You hear me? At some point, I’d very much like to go home to Paku Nui!”
“Don’t worry about that.” Said Tantomile. “Paku Nui isn’t going anywhere.”
…
There was so much data about the Paradox that it just wasn’t possible to download all of it into the Shieldbreaker’s onboard computer. Tantomile made the choice to download only the last fifty years' worth of data, then promise to return later for the rest.
“Once the political situation calms down, I’ll send a Levakian science ship to collect the rest of the data.” Tantomile told Kaiako, “Even if no one believes our warnings, your work is too important to leave alone. I have to take some of it with me.”
In Tantomile’s opinion, the single most important piece of data to preserve was a file containing nearly 300 photographs of a little spaceship that definitely belonged to the Paradox herself. Taken over the past 4000 years of Galactic history, the Paradox’s spaceship was barely bigger than a Hiigaran Gunship and had a very curious configuration:
It was a spaceplane.
The unusual size, shape, and weapons compliment of the Paradox’s ship suggested that it had been built by a Pre-FTL species who was nowhere near developing Hyperspace Technology. The spaceplane had two sets of engines: a pair of airbreathing ramjets that would only work inside of an atmosphere, and a pair of closed-cycle chemical rockets for space travel. Nearly half of the ship’s fuselage appeared to have been turned into a crude Hyperspace Module. There no other ships like this one in the Galaxy. This would work to Tantomile’s advantage. During the long flight back to Partoga, Tantomile would teach the Shieldbreaker’s gunnery crew to recognize the Paradox’s ship on sight.
While Tantomile waited for the rest of the Shieldbreaker’s crew to return to the ship, she went into the situation room and watched the Enthronement ceremony play out on live television. Changing the channel to Xenonian News, Tantomile was disappointed to see Velam Nordström, the Sycldari anchor. Today, she had eyes only for Queen-Elect Mami.
September 22, 1928 A.D.
Hall of the Forgotten, The Great Library, Partoga City
The Book of the Forgotten was so incredibly old, Queen-Elect Mami was afraid it would fall apart in her hands. Kuhina Nui Eru Ranginui stepped away from the reading desk where she was sitting and allowed her to flip through the text on her own.
Nearly one hundred people were standing around Mami. They watched and waited. Government employees, National Assemblymen, military leaders, clergy, historians, journalists, friends, and family all watched eagerly as their new ruler opened the Book of the Forgotten. The Great Library of Partoga City seemed to be even smaller when it was packed full of people. While she opened the book, a librarian offered this explanation:
“The Book of the Forgotten was compiled and translated from a series of texts found by Queen Sophie the Merciful. Discovered in the wreckage of the Snowskin City, she believed the text to be a passenger manifest of an oceangoing vessel. The names you see are of men, women, and children who belong to an unknown nation. Descriptions in the text show that while these people had different skin and hair, they were clearly the same species as Partogans and Snowskins. By choosing a Forgotten Name as your regnal name, you will continue the tradition of preserving their memory.”
Mami ran her finger down the translated passenger manifest, located nearly forty pages into the book. While she looked over the book, thinking about which name she would take, Queen-Elect Mami suddenly felt a very powerful compulsion to look up and turn her head to the left. It was almost as though an invisible hand had taken her by the chin and guided her head until it was pointing in the right direction.
Princess Aku Mihaka was clutching a bag of ice to the side of her head with one hand and gently rubbing the shoulder of a 16-year-old woman with the other. The woman had a pleasant round face, big almond-shaped eyes, and straight white hair that fell down to her waist. Mami couldn’t help but think that she looked like a younger version of the Titohara lookalike she’d spotted a couple of hours ago in the National Assembly. The young girl smiled at the Queen-Elect.
“We’re so happy for you.” Princess Aku said, “Your friend Eteka is a distant cousin of mine. My little Kaio thought the two of you looked very cute together.”
Eteka waved at Kaio and she gave him a thin-lipped smile in return. Princess Aku leaned over to her right and whispered into the ear of Prince Tapu Mihaka, a member of the Partogan Supremacy faction. Prince Tapu shared a lot of physical features with Eteka, despite being nearly 20 years older. He was tall and slim, had short spikey hair, and wore round glasses. (Eteka’s glasses were rectangular) Prince Tapu locked eyes with the Queen-Elect and gave her a polite nod.
“Any friend of my family is a friend of mine, Your Majesty.” he said “Regardless of faction.”
Mami smiled at Prince Tapu. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she had an extremely good feeling about him. There was something about him Mami just seemed to like, and she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Breaking her gaze, Mami returned to the Book of the Forgotten. There was a list of names in front of her, and above it was a handwritten note, scrawled onto the page by Queen Sophie the Merciful nearly 400 years ago:
The people who lived in this so-called “Middle Kingdom” appeared to have an extensive trade network that enabled contact with yet more forgotten tribes. My Snow-skinned friend says the names listed on the left side of the page are female names, whereas the names listed on the right side are male ones. I do not know why the original owner of this book decided to record the names of his passengers. Perhaps it had something to do with payment? I may never know. My Snowskin pen-pal says the previous ten pages (the water-damaged ones) contained the context I am missing.
Below Queen Sophie’s note was the list from which every previous Queen of Partoga had chosen her regnal name. Names that had already been used once had a mark and a handwritten annotation next to them. Mami ignored the list of male names (which was significantly longer) and instead looked at the female ones:
Jennet Hester
Kateryn Petersen
Marie Sellers* (Mokara Patariki – 24 Akuhata 410)
Anne Gibbs* (Waiano Himona – 30 Oketopa 152)
Maryann Robbins
Sophie Townsend* (Kotu Aranui – 9 Noema 30)
Mary Stout
Karan Christensen* (Ihiko Karawana – 21 Hakihea 183)
Lucy McIntyre* (Nokama Rakena – 2 Hakihea 344)
Elizabeth Small
Millicent Clark
Madeline Pace** (Ataahua Matene – 17 Pipiri 268) (Awhina Wirihana – 30 Paenga-whāwhā 350)
Margaret McBride
Carol Hartman* (Maku Ranginui – 8 Pipiri 228)
Benedicta McGowan
Sarah Pennington* (Aperira Herangi – 10 Hōngongoi 89)
Henrietta Golden
Phoebe Underwood* (Pipi Munu –15 Pipiri 299)
Kendra Ingraham
Miranda Browning* (Whetu Kealoha)
Emily Carver* (Makutu Ririnui – 28 Pipiri 183)
Mami couldn’t help but think that Eteka’s cousin Kaio had a very pretty name. She looked down the list and found three names that started with the same hard “k” sound: Kateryn, Karan, and Kendra.
The name Karan had already been used and personally, Mami had never liked Queen Karan the Scientist. Why should she take the name of a Queen she didn’t like? So, she looked at the two unused “k” names.
Queen Kateryn... it had a certain lovely ring to it... Queen Kateryn the First...
Queen Kendra... the name felt like it had some kind of secret power... Queen Kendra the First...
Right when Mami was about to make her decision, a warm and friendly voice casually crossed into her mind.
Kendra.
She had never heard that voice before in her life, but it seemed familiar... almost like family. Thinking about her own family, Mami realized that if her father were alive, he’d probably nudge her towards the name “Kendra.” It was simple and easy to pronounce, like “Mami.” In her mind, the fatherly voice spoke again.
Kendra.
She had made up her mind. Slowly, the Queen-Elect rose from the table and turned to face the watching crowd. About a dozen news reporters frantically pushed their way past Amaya Maori and her father so they could get a picture of the new Queen. Hinakiri Aranui had to kneel in between Amaya and Enutanga to get the camera angle she wanted.
Kuhina Nui Ranginui took one step forward and said cautiously:
“Your Majesty... what is your name?”
Mami took a deep breath and looked around one more time at all of her friends and family. Nearly one hundred happy smiles beamed back at her.
“My name is Kendra Ingraham.”
September 22, 1928 A.D.
Conference Room 15, The Great Library, Partoga City
There was one last thing to do before the Enthronement Ceremony. Unlike the choosing of the regnal name, this final task would be carried out in secret. While the Queen-Elect's family, friends, and admirers were sent to the Royal Gardens to await the Enthronement, the Queen-Elect, Kuhina Nui, Holy Father, and three military officers sequestered themselves inside of a conference room. Once the door was locked, Holy Father Whiro Ranginui produced a Mountaineering Guidebook and asked the Queen-Elect to place her right hand on it and swear an oath:
“I, Kendra Ingraham, Queen-Elect of the Kingdom of Partoga, accept the title, role, and responsibility of Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Armed Forces. I swear to defend the people, the city, the continent, the planet, and the Kingdom of Partoga against all threats, foreign and domestic; to do anything and everything to ensure the safety and survival of the Partogan people; to be the leader of leaders, and to seek out and punish the treacherous. I accept this duty freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and I will faithfully discharge the duties of command until the moment of my death.”
The new name still felt awkward on her tongue.
Once the oath of office was administered, the six people sat down around the conference table. The Kuhina Nui opened a silver briefcase and withdrew six pieces of paper.
“Your Majesty.” He began, “There is a military matter we need to carry out. It’s so important that it can’t wait for you to be enthroned. We've only done this once before, with your predecessor, Marie. Please forgive us if we seem to be tripping over our own feet.”
The three military officers introduced themselves. First up was a middle-aged man with short wiry hair and big rectangular glasses.
“I’m Admiral Maui Patariki, Your Majesty.” he said, “I’m the commander of the entire Royal Navy.”
Up next was a woman in her late 60’s. Her grey hair was tied up in a really tight bun that looked uncomfortable, and she had a lazy eye. While her left eye stayed fixed on the Queen, General Kopunui’s right eye stared off at nothing in particular.
“General Waiano Kopunui.” She said, “Commander of the Royal Army.”
The final man didn’t speak. He had a pointed face, long luxurious hair, and a familiar look of smug self-satisfaction on his face. The only visible difference between this man and the Kuhina Nui was that he was noticeably out of shape. His belly threatened to break the belt wrapped around his middle. The Kuhina Nui introduced him.
“The angry wallflower is my younger brother: General Oku Ranginui. He’s the commander of the Green Guard.”
Oku nodded at the Queen-Elect.
“Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
The Kuhina Nui laid the six identical papers on the table.
“Your Majesty, let me explain what this is about.” He began. “For the past eight years or so, Military Intelligence has been observing a rapid resurgence and rearmament of the Levakian Separatist movement. We have very real evidence that-”
“The Levakians are planning an armed rebellion.” Queen-Elect Kendra interrupted. “I already knew that.”
The Kuhina Nui stammered,
“W-What? You do?”
Kendra shrugged.
“A Levakian warship flew me home after the Battle of Aiowa.” she said, “You hear things when you’re trapped with a mob of lions for a month.”
Everyone in the room gave a happy little sigh.
“Good.” said General Kopunui, “That means we don’t have to give you the whole history lesson.”
The General stood up from her chair and crossed the conference room. On the far wall was a large digital touchscreen. She typed some kind of authentication code into the screen, then commanded the computer to bring up a map of the Kingdom of Partoga.
“Your Majesty,” she said, “Military Intelligence is convinced we face a very real risk of an armed Levakian revolt sometime in the next five years. Her Majesty Queen Madeline the Second created a military program that, for the past decade, has successfully deterred the Levakian Separatists from taking arms against us.”
The General stepped away from the digital screen, allowing Kendra to see what she had brought up. It was a star map depicting the Rakinui Sector, a region of space where the Kingdom of Partoga shared its borders with the Levakian Kingdoms of Ninigai, Vaopolu, and Paku Nui. It was labelled:
-- Classified Information --
For official use only
Operation DIVINE FURY
“Your Majesty,” General Kopunui began, “You need to understand than there are more Levakians alive today that there are soldiers in the Royal Military. Their entire species outnumbers our own by nearly six-to-one. If the Separatists gain a national forum, or the ability to recruit soldiers en mass, they will have access to more armed fighters than we have bullets. If an armed conflict between Partogans and Levakians does take place, we can’t win it through conventional means. We don’t have the soldiers or supplies for such a campaign.”
“It was Queen Madeline the Second who came up with Divine Fury.” Explained Kuhina Nui Ranginui. “It is a military option meant to be used only as a last resort, when all other options have been explored and exhausted.”
Kendra felt her hands tremble nervously.
“So... what is Divine Fury?” She asked, dreading the answer.
General Kopunui stood up and tapped the touchscreen. While she spoke, little symbols representing military starships began to move across the screen. Kendra had seen interactive battleplans like these before. The simulation continued to run while General Kopunui explained it:
“Due to the sheer size of any hypothetical military raised by the Levakians,” She said, “We have to acknowledge the very real possibility that a rebel army could conquer this Kingdom or destroy it entirely. With this in mind, Queen Madeline the Second ordered the secret construction of six nonconventional weapons platforms. These ships are called...”
General Kopunui pressed her thumb to a corner of the touchscreen and brought up a schematic for a warship.
“The Riri Nui-class Planet Killer. These are not so much starships as they are mobile weapon platforms. A chassis, engine, and hull designed specifically to house and transport their only weapon: The Wrath Cannon.”
Kendra let out a terrified squeak.
“The Wrath Cannon” General Kopunui explained, “...superheats the atmosphere of a planet and agitates its core. It causes catastrophic earthquakes, tsunamis on any body of water big enough to sustain one, and ruptures the crust in as many places as possible, triggering hundreds and possibly thousands of volcanic events. Royal Scientists predict it would take about 15 minutes of constant weapons fire from a Planet Killer to wipe out the entire population of a planet. Once the core of the planet has been sufficiently disturbed, about 30 minutes after the weapon begins firing, a final kinetic pulse is sent along the beam. The force of this final impact will split the planet open like a melon, rendering it permanently uninhabitable. Your Majesty, I’m going to restate this because I cannot stress this enough: THIS WEAPON WILL KILL EVERYONE ON THE SURFACE OF A PLANET. Do you understand?”
Kendra had now gone so pale; she could have been mistaken for a Snowskin.
“We built one of those things!?” the Queen-Elect gasped.
“We built six.” The Kuhina Nui clarified. “The HMS Jutlin, Mohtrek, Shelek, Crast, Avsa, and Felnas. A seventh, the HMS Tryna, is currently under construction at Shipyard Nynrah. Queen Madeline hoped that these weapons would only be used as an absolute last resort, when Partoga is faced with the certainty of its own destruction.”
Kendra felt like she was going to be sick. The General went on:
“This is how Operation Divine Fury will work: All six of our Planet Killers are currently docked to Shipyard Nynrah , which itself is in a top-secret location that even I don’t know about. The Nynrah Listening Post is constantly monitoring all Hyperwave communications throughout the Kingdom of Partoga. They listen in on every possible frequency, ranging from news broadcasts to military networks and personal calls. If AND ONLY IF the Military Intelligence agents at Nynrah think the Royal Government was destroyed by Levakians, they will put Operation Divine Fury into effect. They will only respond to Levakian aggression. The Hiigarans or the Blorg could land a whole army here today and burn down the Royal Palace, and Nynrah would do nothing. They are purely an anti-Levakian task force.”
Kendra was now visibly trembling.
“What happens if the Levakians do attack?”
“Right now,” General Kopunui explained, “Task Force Kraahkan is operating under the standing orders left behind by Queen Marie. Oh, right... You don’t know what that is. Um, well, Your Majesty... Task Force Kraahkan is a secret formation of warships meant to escort the Planet Killers to their targets. They’re currently scattered around the Kingdom on patrol, under orders to pretend the Task Force doesn’t exist. If the Levakians overrun the Government, Queen Marie left behind the following orders:”
The General pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and read aloud:
“Task Force Kraahkan and the Planet Killers are to strike all assigned targets if not recalled prior to the Positive Control Point.”
Kendra’s hands had gotten sweaty. Her heart thundered so loudly she barely heard her own terrified voice.
“What targets!?”
General Kopunui didn’t say anything. She tapped the touchscreen, and words appeared.
Operation DIVINE FURY - List of Primary Wrath Cannon Targets:
- HMS Avsa (Commanding Officer: Toa Wahine Maia Tuterangi)
- Kingdom of Paku Nui:
- Paku Nui
- Listhim
- New Rotorua
- Muaka Nui
- Gawahi
- Lewahi
- Estimated Fatalities: 4,994,105,000
- HMS Crast (Commanding Officer: Toa Manawa Herekotutuku)
- Kingdom of Vaopolu
- Vaopolu
- Martom
- Artidax
- Akari
- Munkit
- Estimated Fatalities: 1,210,883,000
- HMS Felnas (Commanding Officer: Toa Wahine Kailani Tirikatane)
- Kingdom of Ninigai
- Ninigai
- New Levakia
- Estimated Fatalities: 19,398,000
- HMS Jutlin (Commanding Officer: Toa Uniki Ranginui)
- Kingdom of Aiarua
- Aiarua
- Destral
- Sadatoni
- Zakaz
- Estimated Fatalities: 1,013,101,000
- HMS Mohtrek (Commanding Officer: Toa Kauri Mihaka)
- Kingdom of Asalele
- Asalele
- Estimated Fatalities : 11,600,000
- HMS Shelek (Commanding Officer: Toa Rawiri Mihaka)
- Kingdom of Waioku
- Waioku
- Soeyama
- Isomon
- Hijie
- Dantun
- Estimated Fatalities: 30,630,000
SUMMARIZED CASUALTY ESTIMATION:
Immediate Fatalities: About 7.2 billion killed by direct exposure to Wrath Cannon fire
Residual Fatalities: Additional 4.4 billion over two weeks due to myriad post-attack factors
Kendra’s mouth had gone dry. She shook perceptibly in her chair, making her fingernails tap on the tabletop. Never in her life had Kendra even considered the possibility that something so destructive and lethal could exist... let alone be discussed so casually. Her face was now twisted into an expression of pure terror, and the feeling seemed to be seeping into the Kuhina Nui because he said,
“General, could you put the target list away? We don’t want to scare the Queen on her first day.”
“On the contrary,” said General Oku Ranginui, “I think Her Majesty needs to know all of this. She needs to know the incredible weight her commands carry, regardless of how ‘scary’ you think it is.”
General Ranginui looked down at the trembling Queen-Elect.
“Your Majesty... If you’re feeling scared right now, then I urge you to hold onto that feeling. These weapons are designed to be scary. Not just for the possible victim, but for the wielder as well.”
He pointed at the target list.
“Added up, those numbers represent around 90% of all Levakians in the Galaxy. You have the power to annihilate their entire species over the course of a month. That power is all that stops the lions from launching an actual rebellion.”
“I have the power?” Kendra repeated.
Kuhina Nui Ranginui pushed the six identical papers across the paper towards Kendra.
“Operation Divine Furywill only go into effect if the government is completely destroyed.” he explained. “In this case, ‘destroyed’ means that you have been killed and the National Assembly is unable to elect a new Queen. You are the Commander-in-Chief of Task Force Kraahkan, which means the final authority to use the Planet-Killers rests with you. As long as you’re alive the Planet Killers will obey any order you give, but current military doctrine and every military advisor worth his salary will insist you leave the Planet Killers unused and idle. That’s where these papers come into play.”
Kuhina Nui Ranginui flipped one over for Kendra to read.
“Obviously,” he said, “You can order the fleet around to your heart’s content while you’re still alive. But you need to leave behind a set of instructions for Task Force Kraahkan and the Planet Killers to follow if you are killed by Levakian Rebels. This task cannot wait until after your Enthronement. The ceremony itself has always been a serious security risk. We have two whole Battalions of Green Guards in the city today, but we can’t afford to take risks.”
The Kuhina Nui uncapped a pen and handed it to Kendra.
“You are the Queen; write any order you want here. Anything you think is right or necessary. And don’t forget, you can change your mind and issue new orders at any time.”
Kendra looked down at the piece of paper. It had a big blank spot in the middle where she could write her first military orders, and the text itself said:
22 Mahuru 413
From: The Queen-Elect of the Kingdom of Partoga
To: Vice Admiral Wikitoria Ranginui, Commanding Officer, Task Force Kraahkan
RE: Operation Divine Fury
Vice Admiral,
If it is ever determined that my Royal Government has been destroyed as a result of military action carried out by dissident or rebellious Levakians, then I hereby order TASK FORCE KRAAHKAN to carry out my Posthumous Command:
Signed,
Queen-Elect of the Kingdom of Partoga
Kendra sat there and thought about this dilemma for nearly ten minutes. The Kuhina Nui, Holy Father, and all three military officers waited patiently. Most of them had been through this once before and were expecting Kendra to take a long time to make up her mind. She was grateful for their patience.
Thinking hard and trying to absorb everything she’d just been told; Kendra was just a little too tired to come up with a complex battle plan on the spot. Kendra opted to issue a temporary order for now, and then come back and write a better one later. She wrote into the blank space:
“Use your own discretion. Determine what is best for the Kingdom and act accordingly.”
Kendra signed the letter, then Kuhina Nui Ranginui scooped it up and tucked it into his silver briefcase.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” he said. “I’ll make copies and get them distributed at once. Do you have any last questions before we proceed to the Enthronement Ceremony?”
Kendra thought of a question she’d wanted to ask for the past few minutes, and decided that asking now was better than asking later.
“Queen Marie’s orders mentioned something about a Control Point.” she said. “What is that?”
General Kopunui passed Marie’s note to Kendra so she could read it, then she started tapping a new command into the touchscreen on the wall. A map of a star system appeared on the screen.
“The Positive Control Point,” Kopunui explained, “Is the point of no return for Task Force Kraahkan and the Planet Killers. Once the Planet Killers are given the order to launch, they don’t proceed directly to their targets. Instead, they head towards a small military outpost in the Hakihea star system. This outpost serves as a rally point where the Planet Killers will wait for orders to attack from the appropriate commander. There are only two people in the entire Kingdom of Partoga who can order the Planet Killers to move beyond the Positive Control Point and attack their targets: The Queen of Partoga and the Commanding Admiral of Task Force Kraahkan, although the Admiral will only gain the power of command if you’re confirmed to be dead. Once the Planet Killers move beyond the Positive Control Point, Emergency Battle Orders will take precedent. This means that the crew of each Planet Killer will go radio-silent until they hit their targets. They will not answer any calls, nor will they obey or acknowledge new orders. Once the point of no return is crossed, NO ONE can stop the Planet Killers, not even Your Majesty. They’re committed.”
“So, let’s say the Planet Killers get launched,” Kendra hypothesized, “but then I order them to stop and come home before they reach the Positive Control Point. Would they obey?”
Vice Admiral Maui Patariki nodded.
“As long as you issue the abort command before they reach the Positive Control Point” he said, “Then the Planet-Killers will return to base. We practice launching and aborting the Planet-Killers twelve times a year, so a return-to-base abort is like second nature to the crews of those ships. Plus, it keeps the Levakians on their toes.”
“Wait,” Kendra had thought of something else. “How much do the Levakians know about all this?”
General Enoka Ranginui shrugged.
“We intentionally let small details about the plan slip from time to time.” He admitted. “Empress Jemima and her husband Emerdon know that we have their entire species at the end of a loaded gun. As a result, they do most of the work keeping the rest of the Levakian population in line, freeing up Partogan resources to work on other tasks, like the war. However, we do go out of our way to make sure the Levakians never get the whole picture. They can’t put the puzzle together with the pieces we’ve let them have, so to speak.”
Kendra made a mental note to ask Tantomile whether she knew about any of this.
“Do you have any further questions, Your Majesty?” Kuhina Nui Ranginui asked. “We’ll be able to start the Enthronement Ceremony as soon as this meeting concludes.”
Kendra stood up and straightened out her dress.
“No. I’m ready.”
The Generals, Admiral, and Holy Father all bowed one last time and left the conference room. The Kuhina Nui talked Kendra through what was going to happen next, and then they left together.
September 22, 1928 A.D.
The Covered Courtyard, The Great Library, Partoga City
Only three hours had passed since the Royal Election ended. In that time, the crowd of people in the Royal Gardens had gotten even larger. Nearly one million Partogans and Levakians were packed into the Royal Gardens and the city blocks surrounding them.
The wide stone staircase leading to the front entrance of the Great Library had been roped off, and a squad of Green Guards stood sentry around the entrance. Dressed in their ceremonial green, red, and silver uniforms, the soldiers carried sleek, shiny rifles that were meant for pomp and circumstance, but no less lethal than a Gauss Rifle.
At the top of the staircase, the Great Library’s stone walls gave way to a covered courtyard, on the far side of which was the entrance to the Library itself. This courtyard had served as the spot where new Queens were enthroned for the past 270 years. Hundreds of Partogans and Levakians eagerly pushed each other out of the way to look in between the marble pillars which formed a ring all around the courtyard. The rest of the spectators, held back by the Green Guard, satisfied themselves by watching the ceremony on jumbotron televisions set up all across the Royal Gardens and surrounding cityscape.
Normally, the covered courtyard had a roof made of glass that allowed one to see the sky above. Today, however, twelve green banners hung from the ceiling, each one representing a previous Queen. The banner reserved for Queen Miranda the Great had her name written on it in gold lettering, and it had been strategically hung from the ceiling in such a way that it hung low and gently touched the back of an object in the room... an object that only appeared in this place once during the lifetime of a Partogan Queen.
When Kendra saw the Emerald Throne for the first time, she shivered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the news camera operators do the same. Only two news agencies had been allowed into the covered courtyard, the Partogan News Network and Xenonian News. Nearly three hundred people lined the inner edge of the courtyard. The whole National Assembly was present, as were additional Princes and Princesses from elsewhere in the Kingdom. The President of the Democratic Republic of Assuria placed his hand over his heart in salute when Kendra and Kuhina Nui Ranginui walked past him, and clergy loudly prayed for the Unnamed Mountain to bless Kendra.
To her right, Kendra saw her mother. Angiangi was crying softly while a Royal Navy officer held her shoulder. Finally, Kendra and Kuhina Nui Ranginui stopped walking. They were in front of the Emerald Throne.
Kendra wasn’t shaking anymore. The Kuhina Nui had talked her through what was about to happen next, and now she was ready. She stood calmly and waited for the ceremony to begin.
Kuhina Nui Ranginui stepped away from the Queen-Elect, facing towards the stone staircase. At the landing was Holy Father Whiro Ranginui. On his right side was another elderly clergyman dressed in a similar white and green robe to the Holy Father. On Whiro’s left was a female Church Acolyte. She looked like she was roughly the same age as Kendra, had her hair trimmed into a neat bob cut, and wore a charming little smile.
“Holy Father Whiro,” The Kuhina Nui spoke to his brother in a grand, booming voice. “The National Assembly has chosen a new Queen!”
The Kuhina Nui had to pause as the watching crowd erupted with celebratory cheers. Kendra shot a sideways smile at her friends. Ango, Rapati, and Eteka had all been into the courtyard to watch the Enthronement. Eteka blushed and tried to adjust his glasses, but missed and poked himself in the eye instead. Enutanga, Irirangi, and Amaya were standing a few Bios away. Enutanga poked Amaya in the side and the two shared a laugh at Eteka’s expense.
When the crowd finally calmed down, the Kuhina Nui went on.
“The Royal Government is now ready to Enthrone the Queen. Is the Church of the Mountain prepared to do its part?”
“Yes, we are!” Whiro declared. The crowd began to cheer again.
The Kuhina Nui turned around and took Kendra by the shoulder. He guided her to the center of the covered courtyard and gestured to the Emerald Throne.
“Go ahead.”
Kendra wasn’t sure how to describe the way the throne felt. The silver frame was cold to the touch, but the dark green cushions on the seat, back, and armrests were so soft and relaxing.
When Kendra sat down in the Emerald Throne, the hem of her dress pulled away from the floor, revealing her black combat boots. The Acolyte girl next to Whiro saw this and giggled. Realizing what the Acolyte was giggling about, Kendra twitched one of her feet and caused the bootlaces to flip up and down gain, looking a little like a bird flapping its wings. The Acolyte was on the verge of laughing out loud. Whiro turned his head and glared at her. The stern look of disapproval was enough to make her be quiet again.
The Kuhina Nui, Holy Father, old stranger, and Acolyte all moved together. In near-perfect lock-step, the moved halfway across the courtyard before stopping. Two members of the National Assembly stepped forward, Prince Rongo Patariki unfurled a piece of paper and delivered a short speech while Prince Tangaroa Nopera gave three packages of varying size and shape to the Kuhina Nui and his entourage.
“Having certified the results of the Royal Election of Mahuru twenty-second in the four-hundred-thirteenth year of our Kingdom, the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Partoga declares the twelfth Royal Election to be complete! Having attained a final vote of thirty in favor and twenty-two against, Candidate Toa Wahine Mami Tamihana has earned the right to possess the Whetu Kārerarera and rule as our next Queen. I hold in my hands, the official Enthronement Act of 413. Passed and ratified by the National Assembly with a final vote of fifty-two in favor and none against, this act of the National Assembly declares that Toa Wahine Mami Tamihana, henceforth known by the forgotten name Kendra Ingraham, has been officially enthroned by the National Assembly and is now the thirteenth Queen of Partoga. Her Majesty Kendra will carry on the legacy of Queen Miranda the Great and rule until her death. May the Unnamed Mountain have mercy upon her enemies! KIA ROA TE KUINI!”
“KIA ROA TE KUINI!” The watching crowd roared loudly!
Prince Rongo knelt down in front of the Emerald Throne and offered the Enthronement Act to the Queen with both hands. Queen Kendra accepted the document and then shook his hand. While Prince Rongo rejoined the National Assembly off to the left, Prince Tangaroa Nopera finished distributing the packages to the Kuhina Nui and spoke in a loud voice, making sure his words would carry across the courtyard and out of the jumbotron televisions placed all over the city.
“The Kuhina Nui will now present his gifts to the new Queen!”
Kuhina Nui Eru Ranginui approached the Queen and got down on one knee. He held up two things, one in each hand. In his right hand was a small box, in the left an envelope. Kendra took the box first and opened it. Inside was a beautiful silver ring. An enchanting pattern of circular symbols were carved into the metal. The ring itself was far too big to fit on any of Kendra’s fingers, but that didn’t matter. The most important part of this piece of jewelry was... well... the jewel.
The Green Star glittered in the afternoon light in a warm and friendly sort of way. Kendra wanted to look at the emerald for hours and marvel at its beauty, but she couldn’t. The Kuhina Nui was still holding the envelope in his other hand. Kendra pulled the Whetu Kārerarera out of its box and slid the ring onto right index finger. The oversized ring promptly slid and slipped around her finger until the jewel was facing down towards Kendra’s lap. She set the box aside, then took the envelope from the Kuhina Nui and opened it.
The letter contained within was short, simple, and effective:
Your Majesty:
I hereby resign the office of Kuhina Nui of the Kingdom of Partoga.
Sincerely,
Eru Ranginui
No longer the leader of Partoga’s government, Eru Ranginui was just an ordinary subject now. When Queen Kendra dismissed him, he didn’t rejoin the National Assembly or the other three people waiting to give the new Queen a gift. Eru stepped through the crowd and began to descend the stone staircase, moving down and away from the Great Library. Keeping with tradition, a small number of friends and family were waiting for him. Eru would melt away into the crowd of spectators, his political career ended with a sense of honorable dignity.
Now the elderly man stepped forward. Kendra could tell this man was a part of the Ranginui family. He had similar luxurious hair, and a smug smile on his face, which (unlike the rest of his family) had high cheekbones and thin lips. Unlike the Holy Father, this man was clean-shaven and had a very neat and tidy appearance.
“Your Majesty.” he said. “My name is Enoka Ranginui. I’m the Chief of Chaplains for the entire Royal Military.”
He held out a long, thin package for Queen Kendra.
“This is the Royal Saber.” said Enoka, “This weapon was wielded by Queen Miranda the Great at the Battle of Archer’s Canyon four hundred years ago. It is a Royal Heirloom now.”
Careful to grab the sword by its cloth wrapping, Kendra was amazed by how light the weapon was.
“This is a treasure.” Kendra said, “I’ll treat it as such.”
“It is also a symbol.” Enoka said gently. “Declaring both the Church of the Mountain and the Green Guard to be your allies.”
Kendra raised up her finger, holding the real Whetu Kārerarera alongside the copy embedded in the sword’s crossbar. She was impressed at how perfectly identical the two stones were. Kendra thanked Enoka for his gift, and once again, the ceremony had to pause for a moment as the watching crowd chanted “Long live the Queen” loudly.
Chief of Chaplains Enoka stepped back and moved to one side. Holy Father Whiro and the young female Acolyte approached together. As Kendra gently laid the Royal Sabre across her lap, Whiro regarded her with an expression that suggested he was hiding his true feelings about Kendra.
“The alliance between Queen and Church is a cornerstone of this Kingdom.” He said. “I look forward to the next chapter of that story.”
“So do I.” Kendra said politely. “I look forward to working with you.”
Whiro gave an unfathomable smile.
“As is tradition,” he said, aware of the whole Kingdom watching him, “I have two gifts for you. The first;”
Whiro held out a small metal object roughly the size and shape of a playing card.
“This is an identical copy of my Command Card. With it, you may issue orders to the Green Guard.”
HOLY MIRANDA!! Kendra had almost forgotten that detail! The Royal Army and Navy were under the command of the Queen, but the Green Guard would only obey the Church!
Taking great care not to let any expression appear on her face, Kendra took the card and thanked the Holy Father politely. She gripped the Command Card tightly in her left hand. As long as Kendra lived and breathed, she would never let this card leave her possession.
“The second gift,” Whiro went on, “...is for your entire family. Every Tamihana who lives in the Royal Palace will receive one at the expense of the Church of the Mountain.”
Whiro gestured to the Acolyte. She stepped forward and passed an envelope to the Queen. When Kendra took the envelope, she noticed that there was something unusual about this particular girl. Her uniform was slightly different from all of the other Acolytes. Her green tunic had white trimming instead of silver, and she wore a pair of black bracelets made of braided leather, one secured around each wrist. Kendra noticed there were two thick papers in the envelope and looked up at Whiro.
“Like I said,” Whiro clarified, “One for you and one for your mother.”
Whiro winced when he added,
“If your relationship with young Mihaka continues... he’ll receive one too.”
“Oh, that’s so kind.” Kendra said while she slid the envelope open.
She saw two official-looking certificates inside. At the top of each one was the words:
Affidavit for Transfer of Ownership
Whatever the gifts are, Kendra thought, they must have been too big to bring here. She assumed the gifts were some kind of vehicular transport like a motoka or a Star Yacht.
She closed the envelope, looked back up at Whiro and said;
“Thank you so much for your gifts, Holy Father. I can’t wait to use mine!”
A look of shocked surprise overtook the Acolyte’s face. She blushed intensely and looked at the floor, her long bangs hiding her eyes from view. Whiro threw a sideways glance at her and sniggered in a way that made the Acolyte even more uncomfortable.
Whiro bent low in a gratuitous bow and then delivered the final Enthronement Speech of the day:
“On behalf of the Church of the Mountain, I confirm Kendra Ingraham to be the legitimate elected successor to Miranda the Great, Custodian of the Great Library, Governor of the Royal Academy of Science, Patron of the Church of the Mountain, Overlord of Kaitaia and Tauranga, and the Thirteenth Queen of Partoga! May your reign be blessed and happy!”
Again, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Everyone inside of the covered courtyard joined in. Angiangi jumped for joy! Eteka clapped his hands so hard the palms turned raw and red. The Acolyte stepped away from the Holy Father and took up her new position next to the Emerald Throne, just behind and to the right of the new Queen. The Holy Father stepped back and allowed the seven Levakian Kings to apporach. One by one, all seven Levakian Kings came towards the Emerald Throne and sat down in front of Kendra. She could barely hear the Oaths of Vassalage being sworn because of the noise the crowd was making. Admetus had to roar loudly to be heard, and even then, Queen Kendra only heard him say:
“...I swear to obey your commands above and before all others.”
King Emerdon went last. As the husband of Empress Jemima, he swore two Oaths of Vassalage. One for himself and one on behalf of the Levakian Empress, who “regrettably could not attend due to Late-Stage Pregnancy.” Just like Eru Ranginui had told her to do, Kendra stood up from the throne while Emerdon sat down on the stone floor in front of her. She placed her right hand firmly on top of Emerdon’s head and rubbed it gently, petting the massive lion as though he were a timid house pet. Emerdon’s head felt rough and scratchy. This symbolic act allowed the entire Kingdom to see and know that Kendra had accepted the Vassalage and subservience of all Levakians.
And just like that, the Enthronement Ceremony was over. Before Queen Kendra could say or do anything, three Levakian Kings: Shinkansen, Emerdon, and Raduan all staged a rapid exit. Nearly every member of the Ranginui family did the same. Out in the Royal Gardens, the crowd began to break up and disperse. (in a sense; they were really just digging in for a nightlong party) The National Assembly and military leaders also said their goodbyes. Since tomorrow was a National Holiday, most of the Royal Government was going to take the day off. Kendra didn’t mind. This would give her plenty of time to start moving into the Royal Palace. After giving Eteka a goodbye kiss, Kendra watched the Mihaka family board a luxury motoka and depart for Mihaka Tower.
A military escort of both Green Guards and Royal Army soldiers were waiting to take Queen Kendra to the Royal Palace. Kendra and her mother sat in the backseat of the Royal motoka, which joined a huge convoy of military vehicles and departed the Great Library just as the sun was starting to go down. During the drive to the Royal Palace the Queen and her mother sat in silence. They were both thinking hard.
Kendra distinctly remembered her promise to Tantomile, a promise to help her head off a possible Levakian Uprising by having King Emerdon arrested. The Queen was just starting to make a plan in her head when Angiangi suddenly burst out in a fit of hysterical laughter!
“What!?” Kendra gasped, “What is it?”
“I just remembered!” Angiangi wheezed. “I told my boss I’d call him after the Election and tell him when I’d be coming back to work! He’s expecting me back on the line day after tomorrow!”
Kendra raised an eyebrow.
“Are you really going to commute to the Aetherium mines on Aoraki every day ?” Kendra asked with a laugh. “You’d better ask your boss to pay your fuel costs.”
Queen Kendra and Angiangi stared at each other for a few seconds... and then they both exploded into laughter.
END OF CHAPTER THREE.
