Apparently having noticed her shiver, her chamber maid asked, “Are you cold, my Supreme? Do you wish me to get you a shawl?”
Kold looked over at her chamber maid, and said, “No. Why would I ever want to hide this beautiful dress?”
“Forgive me, my Supreme.” The servant bowed and backed away.
The fifth striking of the bell brought her back to her duties. She looked at one of her servants, who gave her a quick nod that her appearance was perfect. In a rare show of emotion, she gave the servant a smile of thanks. Kold wasn’t sure why she had done that. It wasn’t like her. She shrugged it off as just part of the excitement for the evening’s celebration.
Turning to face the crowd still hidden by the balcony and the waist-high railing, she took another deep breath. The murmur that was just moments ago the constant chatter of an excited crowd died away as the anticipation of her appearance neared.
Stepping forward, her head became visible to those in the back of the crowd and the eruption of cheers and clapping flowed up to embrace her. She continued moving until her thighs touched the inner padding of the railing. The cheers grew louder by the tick until it drowned out all other sounds.
With as much grace as she could muster, Kold slowly turned her head left and right to survey the huge crowd. She sheer number of those below her helped to keep a pleasant smile of admiration upon her face. She could see the occasional mother pointing up at her while bending down to talk into the ear of their child. The sight brought back powerful memories of her own mother holding her hand when she was a little girl while explaining the role of the Supreme.
Those early memories helped to solidify her internal desires to become a Supreme, and by sheer luck of the draw, she received it. Her mother had been so proud that day Supreme Cosa read her name from the paper she drew. Was her mother proud of her now?
Confusion began to filter into her thoughts and risked pulling her smiling face into a frown, but Kold fought it. She stared out at her subjects while wondering if their cheers were simply symbolic. Did they cheer her or the situation? She suspected the latter. The concerns that Plon expressed in his drugged state filtered into her thoughts. If everyone standing before her felt the way he did, she didn’t deserve the cheers. Her smile began to slip, and she forced it back onto her face.
Raising her right hand, she felt the material of her loose sleeves fall away from her arm. The crowd drew quiet far quicker than she had expected. Was it another sign of their discord? Dropping her eyes, she could see the small microphones build into the top of the railing that would pick up her voice and project it into the crowd. Looking left and right, with her eyes only, she spotted the two imaging tubes that projected her profile back to those unable or too far abroad to attend. She took another deep breath for courage and began to relay the speech she had prepared and set to memory.
“My loyal subjects, today is the one day that I, as Supreme, can look upon all of you and express my love and deep appreciation for what each and every one of you represent to the Curanian nation as a whole. I can only provide the direction we must head, but it is each of you that make it a successful trip. As the forty-ninth Supreme in modern Curanian history, I carry the ultimate responsibility that will lead to the direction for our glorious future. It gives me great pride to stand before you to start this wondrous Supreme Blossom Celebration. I hope you enjoy the wonders of the grounds surrounding this complex.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I witnessed many of those I loved depart to answer the call of the Supreme before me, as they did for all the Supremes before her. I felt the sting of losing those that never came back. I remember the cries of my mother when my father became another brave Curanian subject to give the most loyal of sacrifices. It saddens me dearly when those same cries can be heard from my subjects.
“As your Supreme, your cries are my cries. Your suffering is my suffering. Your pain is my pain, as it has been with all Supremes before me. I thought long and hard on this. I realized that only a Supreme has the power to stop the cries, to heal the suffering and calm the pain. My subjects, I have heard your cries.”
Kold gave a long pause to add to the dramatic effect of what was coming. The attention of the crowd below her carried skepticism in their eyes. They hadn’t bought into her words, yet. She let them wait to keep the anticipation of her next words building. Feeling the timing was right, she took another deep breath.
“I am going to put into place the wings of change that will forever drive the very culture that is Curanian. Beginning this very day, no more will Curanian ships race across this vast universe pushing out pain and destruction hidden in the form of the betterment of the Curanian people. My gift to each and every subject is the release of all your loved ones from the service of these very ships.”
Kold paused again. The eyes that looked up at her had widened in surprise. In stunned disbelief, the crowd remained silence. Slowly the reality of what she had just said sunk in, and the cheers erupted so loudly that it confirmed her belief that the cheers of her appearance had been symbolic only. It became so loud that insects fled the bushes, and birds shot out of the trees. The very balcony she stood on seemed to shutter with vibration. She could imagine that this same uproar was occurring in every home of every Curanian subject across the planet. It also enforced her belief that change was not only coming but was close to bursting out on its own. She let the cheers continued until it died upon its own momentum.
“I will be pulling in representatives from all the districts to discuss how this release of service will be accomplished, and how we will create assigned workgroups to keep everyone employed. It is my wish that all my subjects recall this Supreme Blossom Celebration as the very day that all Curanians came home to stay.”
Kold went quiet as another round of cheers broke out. She let her eyes sweep among the crowd. She smiled and nodded in knowing that she had won them back over to her side, and her will would again be in force. In the back of her mind, however, she harbored the fear of whether she made the right choice or not. The words of Plon saying they should partner with other cultures remained strong, but Kold had no idea how such a thing could happen. How do you communicate with creatures who would speak a completely different language?
Once again, the crowd finally grew quiet. Waiting for a few ticks to let the excitement of her next words build, she said, “It is with great pleasure that I announce the official start to the Supreme Blossom Celebration.”
While her subjects applauded, yelled and whistled, Kold now performed her latest stunt to add to the mystic of a Supreme. She quickly waved to the crowd before stepping back. Two servants moved to each side of her and lifted the back of her dress up and away from her. At the same time, Kold sat on the edge of the shoot that would take her to the ground floor. She leaned forward to begin the sliding fall.
More servants caught her as she reached the bottom. While Kold walked forward, they quickly made sure the dress fell properly into place. Another servant handed her a microphone that slipped around her ear and ran a short way down her cheek. It would allow her words to continue to be broadcasted throughout the complex and aboard. By the time she reached the exit doors to the grounds her servants had backed away. The large metal doors rolled opened to expose her to her subjects. It had all happened so quickly that it would appear as if she magically materialized before the doors.
The noise hit her like a blast of air. The yelling and laughter gave way to cheers and clapping as more and more saw her emerge. Others who were blocked from view seemed to understand what was happening and joined in. Kold smiled and nodded slowly and respectfully as she walked forward. As she walked by, girls would reach out to touch the material of her dress. While it was normally forbidden to touch a Supreme, this celebratory day ignored all formalities. Even over the noise of the crowd, she could hear girls owing and awing at the soft feel.
Despite the density of the crowd, Kold had little trouble crossing the lawn. It seemed like an invisi
ble plow preceded her to part the crowd enough to create a narrow path ahead of her. Glancing back, she could see the path disappeared as her subjects moved to fill the gap. The feeling of being surrounded by so many adoring subjects was almost overwhelming. Then it suddenly hit her, causing her to stop. As she glanced at all the faces, Kold realized that for the first time since she took over as supreme, she was actually seeing those around her as more than just subjects. Instead of keeping her eyes forward and going through the motions, she felt a part of the crowd. She felt long lost emotions welling up within her, but she used all her internal strength to force it from spilling out of her.
Moving forward again, she headed across the grounds where serving tables sat awaiting her word to provide her subjects with a freshly cooked meal. As she reached the edge of the crowd, she was stopped by a woman who stepped out to block her path. The woman looked nervous, but she refused to yield.
Kold was at a loss over how to proceed. This was one of her subjects standing before her, yet she deliberately interfered with a Supreme and her duties. She could be hauled away for public trial with a simple word. Stunned, Kold stood there and stared at her. As the ticks passed, she finally realized the woman was waiting for her Supreme to address her, so she would speak.
“What is your name?” Kold asked.
“Yurf, my Supreme.” The woman struggled to get the words out. Her nervousness caused her hands to shake at her side.
“What troubles one of my loyal subjects, Yurf?”
“I want to hug you, my Supreme. Would it be allowed if I hugged you for the best gift a Supreme has ever given to her people?”
A small cheer went up around her. Kold struggled with her feelings. She was taught her that no subject should ever place a hand on a Supreme. In fact, it was punishable by death to touch a Supreme, yet here was a woman who wanted to hug her. No one had hugged her since her mother gave her a long embrace the day she was taken away to begin her Supreme teachings.
Except Plon! The thought wiped away her stunned expression and brought a smile to her face. The woman in front of her smiled, too. Yurf obviously misinterpreted the reason for Kold’s joyous expression. Kold could see no harm in allowing a subject to show affection to her Supreme.
“Yurf, it would be my pleasure to hug you. It’s subjects like you that make being a Supreme such a wonderful part of my life.” Kold thought the response quite witty.
The woman stepped closer, and Kold held out her arms. Yurf fell into them, and they embraced. The hug lasted longer than Kold preferred, but eventually the woman stepped back, saying, “I can’t express how happy I am that my kids will be coming home to me. Since they serve on different ships, this is the first time we’ve all been together since the last Supreme Blossom Celebration.”
“May your family never be parted again,” Kold said while giving her a slow nod. Yurf stepped aside, and Kold continued forward. Clearing the crowd, she now faced the hanging sheet that hid the serving tables she knew resided beyond. Turning around, she faced the crowd that slowly edged toward her. “It gives me great joy to provide my loyal subjects with a meal prepared by the very chefs who reside within the walls of the Supreme Complex. They have lovingly prepared a meal fit for such wonderful subjects. Let the feasting begin!”
The sheets rolled up to expose the multitude of tables filled with delicious food. The wonderful smells of the freshly cooked meal drifted on the breeze. As was tradition, Kold retreated to the table holding stacks of plates and began handed one to each subject as they passed. Her servants, who had followed in her footsteps, spread out among the equally prepared tables to do the same.
Subject after subject took a plate and thanked her for the best gift a Supreme could have given them. She accepted many a hug from women who reached out to her without asking permission. As this went on, Kold had a hard time keeping her emotions in check. She could feel them bubbling within her once more. She had hoped to redirect her subjects’ loyalty back to their Supreme, but she had not expected such an outpouring of appreciation, and it was all directed at her personally.
Kold’s emotion finally refused to submit to her will anymore. Her eyes watered, and tears began to flow unchecked down her cheeks. Kold had forgotten how to cry, or so she thought. The sight of her tears only encouraged more hugs from woman offering comfort. A servant finally noticed her crying and stepped over to relieve her from handing out dishes. Kold thanked her, and it made her realize it was the first time she could ever recall thanking one of them for anything.
Another servant came over and handed her a cloth napkin. Despite her perfectly made dress, Kold dropped into a sitting position on the ground and wept heavily. She couldn’t control herself, and the embarrassment of doing it in front of so many people made her face burn in a blush.
Yurf appeared and kneeled by her side. She put one arm around Kold’s shoulder and pulled her closer. “Why do you cry, Supreme?”
“I don’t know.” Kold looked up and watched as others filed past her. They looked down at her with concern and warmth. It only made her cry all the harder. It seemed like all the frustrations that had built up within her came flooding out freely.
The line was still moving past her when Kold finally ran out of tears. As she looked around her, she found that a large group of people sat nearby eating. It felt like a sizable support group had come to her aid.
“Do you feel better?” Yurf asked.
Kold realized she did. She felt renewed as if reborn. The faces around her seemed more like her family and less like nameless, faceless subjects. She cared, and Supremes were not supposed to care. Wasn’t that what she was taught? Wasn’t the rule that you can’t please everyone, so don’t try? It all seemed confusing now. It was like everything she had been taught about what it meant to be a Supreme was wrong. Is it really, or am I just a poor Supreme?
Taking a hiccupped breath, Kold tried to regain her composure. In what was really a selfish act on her part had turned into the best decision she could have made for her people. She wanted to do more. She wanted to right the wrong that her sister Supremes had put onto these very individuals she was supposed to serve.
Taking another deep breath, Kold realized she had an opportunity to not only set the Curanian people on the right path, but to teach her successor how to keep that momentum flowing. Her eyes watered again as she thought about all the other cultures harmed throughout Curanian history at the direction of past Supremes, and herself. Could she correct that, too? Perhaps she could order ships to return to offer help to rebuild what they destroyed. Maybe she could build alliances with these other cultures, if they could be convinced it wasn’t some cruel Curanian trick being played upon them.
Nodding, she realized it would probably take generations to right all the wrong and reclaim respect from those they have harmed. However, it all had to start somewhere, so why not with her. The thought gave her strength. It renewed her spirits. Smiling at Yurf, she said, “I can never explain why, Yurf, but I owe you so much. If you will excuse me, I have my loyal subjects, one and all, to attend to.”
Getting back to her feet, Kold stood beside her servant and helped hand out dishes. For the first time in her life, it seemed she was truly doing something for her subjects without an ulterior motive hidden in her thoughts. This really was the best gift she could have given to her subjects, and them to her.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Based on my calculations, we only missed the celebration by two earth days,” Peggy said.
Linda stared out the front of the small ship and could see for herself that the blossom sun had already passed the planting sun. It was the alignment of the two that she understood was when the celebration occurred.
“A wasted trip, then,” Linda said.
“Not really,” Peggy countered. “We can map their next celebration using earth time now that we know for sure where the Curanian timing is based on ours. Muni provided us with how they map days here, and we can synchronize that to how we tr
ack our days to make a Curanian calendar.”
“Just think about it, Peggy. Had we not gone looking for the Kuracks first, we would have arrived here in plenty of time to complete this mission.”
“We’ll get her next year,” Major Justin Roggentine said.
Linda glanced over at the marine who had been assigned to take the Supreme out. She only nodded while feeling conflicted with the entire mission. She realized that taking out the Supreme was critical to stopping the Curanians bent on destroying them, but it still amounted to nothing more than murder to her. Did they really have the right to target and kill this leader in cold blood? Who were they to decide the fate of an entire species and their way of life?
“While we are here, can you move the ship closer into their system?” Justin asked. “I would like to see if they can detect us.”
Nodding agreement, Linda said, “TR17, bring the ship closer to the planet until I order you to stop.”
When Linda felt sure that the Brontum was well within sensor range but outside of being easily spotted by sight, she ordered the Brontum halted. She then held her breath while waiting to see if any Curanian ships would race out to face them. After a minute or so, she slowly let the air out of her lungs.
“Looks like we are blind to them,” Peggy said.
“That’s good to know for our next trip out here,” Justin said. “Can you imagine how much superiority we would have if we could incorporate this technology into our own ships. We could drop a fleet right into the middle of this place and blown them to pieces before they had time to react.”
“If only,” Linda said. “I think we have learned enough here. TR17, do a detailed scan of all the ships, the planet and as much of the surface as you can. Once you are done, take us back to earth.”
The Curanian Dominance: The Linda Eccles Series - Volume Three Page 26