All the King's Men

[Zanthos the Snake]

"My Lord..."
A Rakatan courier kneeled before Zanthos, head bowed in respect and courtesy.
"Speak, my loyal servant."

The King of Makatak extended a hand, to which the messenger grabbed and used to help hoist himself up to his feet. The runner, still respectful and courteous, looked down when he spoke.

"The Warriors you requested are assembled, Your Majesty."

The Snake nodded, to which the messenger bowed in response before turning and running back to wherever he came from. He got up from his throne and adjusted his crimson velvet cape sitting on the Rakatan's ceremonial white robes before walking, footsteps echoing loudly in the throne room. The King made his way to the balcony facing the field behind the Palace.

The outside of the Royal Palace, a clearing dedicated to important assemblies and gatherings, held a large amount of warriors and soldiers standing at ease, muttering to each other lowly. They knew why they were called here, or at least had a vague idea of it. It had to be important for an assembly at the Palace, no less!

The balcony was large enough to allot privacy for the Rakatan king on it. He would be seen when he reached the railing of the structure and decided to address the gathering. A droid stood at attention in the corner, hidden from sight to the public. Zanthos smiled at the familiar companion. ZT-Infinity.

The interesting model of droid clicked and stepped forward on his four spider legs. It's red sensor gleamed in the bright light of the yellow sun, Arus. ZT was almost Zanthos' child, built with love and care to assist the king. It addressed it's creator now as a droid would: a practical, straightforward way.

"Master, 100 soldiers of the Warrior Caste stand before you. Each soldier has been analyzed extensively by this unit and officers of the military. I have logged down the data and selected these men as the best warriors the Makatak Kingdom has to offer. I believe you will find my work satisfactory, Master. There is no error in my data."

Zanthos, still smiling, nodded at his handiwork. He wouldn't be half the king he was without this droid.

"Thank you, ZT. Please stand by and wait for my command."

"As you wish."

The King then walked forward, coming into the view of the assembly. The relaxed soldiers instantly snapped to attention, holding their swords in a ceremonial pose. Zanthos cleared his throat and spoke with authority and power, making his voice heard far and wide.

"Warriors, Rakatan, my loyal subjects! Welcome. It pleases us to see so many able soldiers, so many Rakatan truly gifted in the art of war."

He saw the men below him swell with pride. Good. It would inspire true loyalty in those who were chosen.

"You who are here are the greatest. The elite. You have been chosen to take a special role. Your dedication, your sacrifice, your loyalty to the Kingdom has highlighted you and brought you to my attention."

The crowd collectively held their breaths in anticipation, waiting for the big announcement.

"And that is why 30 of you will be chosen to be...my Royal Guard!"

The warriors remained silent, yet the excitement was palpable in the air, in their eyes as they looked up, rapt attention on him as some of them grinned.

"Now...not all of you will make it. You will have to fight for your spot on the candidate list. But if you try your hardest, you will prevail! Training shall commence tomorrow at the same time as now. Dismissed!"

The soldiers roared in a war cry, saluting with their weapons. Zanthos backed up, turning to ZT. The droid spoke, already answering an unsaid question.

"I shall make the arrangements for the training tomorrow, Master."

The droid and the Rakatan walked back inside the palace together as the crowd of warriors dispersed, excited and sure in their ability to succeed.

It was a shame so many of them would fail.

 

[Zanthos the Snake]

The next day...

Several military officers were already drilling the candidates, getting them warmed up. It was early in the morning. The crack of dawn had just cast it's first beams upon the planet when Zanthos entered the proving grounds, accompanied by ZT. The soldiers continued to train, ordered not to halt unless commanded to. Several officers went up to him, some of the top ranking men in the Rakatan Army.

"We have quite the group of hopefuls this year, my Lord," said the senior officer and Head Commander, a grizzled Rakatan by the name of Asax 'The Brave'. He bowed courteously before continuing.

"These men are some of the finest I've seen. Some of then would even be a match against the instructors!"

Zanthos nodded, pleased by this information.
"Please, Commander. As much as we enjoy listening to your words, we would prefer a visual example. Have them spar with training blades."

Asax barked out the order immediately, sending two servants scurrying back and forth with boxes full of dulled swords. They were passed around by combat instructors. Previously doing physical training, the Rakatan warriors eagerly grabbed the weapons. The instructors then separated the soldiers into pairs, carefully supervised by the brass.

"Watch those two especially, my Lord."

The Head Commander pointed to a pair containing a towering bulk of alien muscle and a shorter, leaner black Rakatan. The king looked at them skeptically.

"Commander, it is no mystery to us who will win that duel. The tall one has the obvious advantage."

Asax grinned silently, crossing his arms. He gestured towards the pair again, obviously wanting Zanthos to still watch. He complied, mostly just to entertain the royal member of the Warrior caste. An instructor commenced the sparring with the clap of his hands. The fights began.

Nearly instantly, the shorter Rakatan had used the tall warrior's weight against him, bringing him to the floor with a well placed leg that tripped the heavier body mass. The dulled sword was brought down on the muscular alien's neck. That duel was over. Zanthos stared at the outcome, amazed.

"As you can see, my Lord, brawn does not always win the fight. It takes cunning as well to bring swift victory."

The experienced Warrior bowed respectfully to the King as a sign of submission. He had provided his opinion through experience, not meant as a challenge to Zanthos' intellect, and he knew that. The older Rakatan was a wise one. That's why he was virtually in charge of the military.

"Who is that skilled warrior, dear Asax?"

ZT chimed in at this point, speaking for the first time since the entourage exited the Palace.

"That is Ser, the top candidate as of now. His performance statistics are quite impressive compared to the other sentients."

The King nodded, speaking to his droid specifically, although it was also for everyone else present.

"Keep a close eye on him."

 

[Zanthos the Snake]

The Palace was under attack.

Or so it appeared. What looked to be a covert operation into the capital of Makatak was really a war game, a training exercise. Zanthos had been locked securely in his chambers with two members of the guard, one of them Ser, the shorter prodigy warrior and the other one a similarly skilled candidate named Xey. The three Rakatan were silent. ZT was not there, instead analysing the scenario going on below. The instructors were acting as infiltrators and assassins, sent to kill the King. The hopefuls, of course, were defending with practice swords and nonlethal sonic pistols. This test was important, though. If they failed here, if they jeopardized the safety of the King...
They were out.

The sound of yelling and sonic weapons going off was audibly clear as Zanthos studied the two Rakatan next to him. They were placed here as the two set aside for the King, both in a defensive sense and in a more hidden way. The top instructors already knew these two were going to make it, Ser for his excellent fighting skill and Xey for his remarkable ability as well. It was time for those less able to learn and gain experience.

Zanthos cleared his throat as the noise intensified. They were approaching the hall. They were slightly nervous. He could tell by the look in their eyes. As skilled as they were, it was a great responsibility to protect his Majesty. Failure would not be tolerated. The Rakatan royalty decided to calm the atmosphere now by breaking the ice.

"Please, brothers. Tell me about yourselves...."

By the sound of it, they were fighting in the hallway now for sure...