Imperial Shadow: March of the Galae

[NDak 0]

It was high noon, with the sun bathing the Imperial Forum in all its glory. A slight breeze off the purple oceans caught the banners high in the wind. And the might and pride of the Empire was displayed in a glorious spectacle.

 

Thousands of loyal citizens gathered for the “March of the Galae,” the now annual parade marking the triumphant return of the Galae to Romulus. The whole of the imperial political spectrum gathered for this gala affair, and despite the recent attacks on the VDC, it was decided to be held anyway.

 

As the sun loomed high, the gates of the Imperial Compound opened, and the parade of the Galae began streaming in, marching in step as the Imperial Anthem echoed over the crowd. The crowd cheered loudly and their hearts swelled in pride as the Galae, in their finest uniforms marched boldly towards the Senate Building, where the Romulan Empress awaited with the Rei’Krannsu, Army of the Declared, standing at full attention.

 

At the head of Galae parade, riding on a great white kaesin (similar to a terran steed), EnRiov Destorie N’Dak waved to the people. His uniform glittering with war medals. This was to be his finest hour.

 

He would ride foreword, just as D’Kheinhv had done five years prior, and accept the S'harien of the Empty Chair from the Empress, symbolically memorializing the transfer of power back to the Galae, and a pledge of the loyalty of the Rei’Krannsu.

 

Romulan trumpets sounded as N’Dak dismounted and the Imperial Guard raised swords in salute. N’Dak, though he’d never admit it, lived for moments like this; when the entire Empire looked towards him, when he was the center of attention. There was something…intoxicating about the feeling he received.

 

Stopping only to wave at the crowd, N’Dak, escorted by his own guards marched forward. He was dressed austerely, even for him. He wore a silver tunic with distinctive onyx threading. His pants were black with a satin strip running the length of his le, only parting at the vee at the foot, where his shiny black boots peeked out. Over the tunic he wore a black iron breastplate, with the t’Liss (the Romulan Bird of Prey) bronzed across the center. His shoulders were adorned with black iron pauldrons bearing the heraldry of the House of N’Dak on the right shoulder and the Clan of Zorek on the left. A long deep green cape flowed from beneath the pauldrons and fluttered along barely above the ground as N’Dak walked. Atop his head, he wore a helm of the same unusual black metal which was found only in the mountains of Hien'Rhe, his ancestral home. To a human, it would have looked much like a helmet worn by a Spartan or a Roman, save for the winged bird of prey that adorned the helm above the eyes and extended outwards.

 

Though military leaders had not worn such armor in hundreds of years, N’Dak thought that such an occasion merited reviving old traditions. The armor, which had been forged hundreds of years ago for a noble in his family during the clan wars, glinted in the sun, made N’Dak look regal as he began to climb the great stairs leading the entrance of the Senate. Atop them, the Praetor and the Impress awaited.

 

The whole scene had been choreographed and planned to the last detail. N’Dak would accept the sword from the Impress, and then present it to tr’Klaeneth. Afterwards, tr’Klaeneth would address the Empire. He would laud the efforts of reconstruction of the glorious empire, along with other necessary and common remarks in such a speech. At the end, though, in the place where many thought he would announce his intentions to run for Praetor in the coming elections, he would endorse N’Dak’s candidacy.

 

In some systems, this would be seen as using a government event to further political goals—which it was—but on Romulus that sort of maneuvering was not only acceptable, it was expected.

 

N’Dak finally came to the end of the long stairs, he turned giving one last look to the crowd, and proceed to where the Empress stood at the base of the towering statue of S’Task.

 

He knelt before her, and she lowered the sword to him, laying it across his out stretched hands. His journey to power had begun…