Leonardo was very excited. This was the first time he ever set foot in the imperial palace.
The room was crowded. Eighty-eight people were sitting in two wings, on either side of the still empty throne. They were the newly elected clan leaders. Leonardo could spot his sensei, Master Splinter, seated on the left wing and in a very close position to the throne.
Right next to the rat he identified a young dark-haired woman: Karai, the new Oroku clan leader. Traditionally, representatives from the ninja clans sat on the Emperor's left, while the samurai and mystic clans on his right. At the same time, the seats of the most ancient and prestigious clans were closer to the throne. Hamato and Oroku were both old ninja clans, so for an odd twist of fate their clan leaders were always seated right next to each other during the Assembly.
Leonardo gazed at the strange pair: the old rat and the human girl. Karai looked even younger and more inexperienced next to Splinter.
Leonardo was standing on the opposite side of the room, together with a small crowd: the special guests with no right to vote. Among them, he had spotted, to his great chagrin, Michelangelo. Leonardo still couldn't believe someone had invited a lowly courtier to such a solemn ceremony. After the awkwardness of their last encounter, Leonardo was doing his best to avoid the other turtle. This was an important day, too important for him to be distracted. Leonardo wished Donatello was there with him. Unfortunately, he had discovered that all the scryers had to wait outside, in the garden, or they would overcrowd the room.
Everyone fell into absolute silence when a ring of whirling water appeared without warning next to the throne. The liquid portal radiated an eldritch blue luminescence that shrouded the other side from sight. A man wearing a white mask emerged from that light, floating in the air with his legs crossed. Leonardo deduced he had to be one of the Emperor's Five Mystics. Presumably the Water Mystic, judging from kind of portal he had created. Despite the Mystic's human-like appearance, Leonardo knew he had to be a tengu, since humans just like turtles were unable to learn the arts of mysticism.
"Enters His Majesty!" the Mystic proclaimed, "The Emperor! The Sky Jewel! The Ultimate Daimyo! The Son of the Gods!"
Everyone in the room bowed deeply. Leonardo did the same. He stayed like that until the others started to straightened up. He had never been in the Emperor's presence before so he wasn't sure how long his bow was supposed to last.
When Leonardo got up, he finally eyed the Emperor. He was an imposing figure, even though he was sitting. True, turtles were quite a short race, but the Emperor seemed to be very tall, even for a tengu. Unfortunately there wasn't much else that Leonardo could say about his appearance. Tengu always wore masks when in the presence of other races, and the Emperor was no exception. The rest of the Emperor's body was covered by a shiny golden armor and a crimson mantle.
The Mystic resumed to speak, but Leonardo stopped paying attention to him as soon as he realized he was just pronouncing an introductory formal speech. Instead, Leonardo focused his attention on someone else who had just entered the room, accompanying the Emperor, and was now sitting on his right: the incumbent shogun.
There was a striking contrast between the two figures. Despite all his political and personal power, Oroku Saki always wore a sober grey kimono, with no jewels or gold, and looked overall rather unimpressive. Yet, his composure and the coldness of his gaze made him much more intimidating than man covered in gold seated next to him.
Leonardo refocused his mind on the ceremony when he heard one of the clan representatives speak his name. It was none other than Splinter himself.
"Yea, we recommend Leonardo," the rat had said in a solemn tone.
For an instant Leonardo just stared at his Master confused. Splinter wasn't even looking at him. Then he remember.
This was the part of the ceremony where the Emperor's speaker asked each clan representative if they wished to recommend someone for the post of shogun. Splinter must have just recommended him. Leonardo took a small breath and big step forward.
He bowed slightly to theEmperor and started to repeat the speech he had memorized.
"Your Majesty, my name is Hamato Leonardo. I am 19 years-old. I know I may be considered too young by some to aspire to become Your advisor. However, it is not aspiration that motivates my candidacy. It is necessity.
"Ten years ago Oroku Saki-sama, the man who is now sitting at Your right hand, was appointed shogun on this Assembly's advice. During his Decade Your people endured nothing but misery and pain. The war he brought us into has cost us the lives of our warriors, the tears of our women, the wealth of our villages. Oroku-sama sacrificed Your best men and women on the altar of his personal ambition.
"What does he have to show for it? Your chests are emptier today than they were ten years ago. Your hand doesn't own more land than it did ten years ago. Your people is poorer and wearier than it was ten years ago. And the Triceratons are still knocking at Your door, their blood lust awaken by this man's recklessness.
"Your Majesty was ill-advised ten years ago by this Assembly. But not by the Hamato clan. My clan, which have always been the most loyal to You and to the traditions of our great Nation, were not blinded by Oroku-sama vain promises of easy victories. Today it has been proven that our advise was wise and provident.
"I, on behalf of my clan, now ask for the opportunity to advice You wisely and providently for the next Decade. My first goal, if You grace me of this honor, will be to fix the errors of Saki-sama's administration, starting off by negotiating a peace treaty with the Triceratons.
"Let's not repeat the same mistakes of the past."
Leonardo had sneaked that last sentence in his speech as an indirect message to the Assembly. Formally, the Emperor was the one to nominate the shogun, so every candidate had to address their speech to him. The Assembly's vote was nothing but a "suggestion." A suggestion that was invariably followed. In fact, the very reason that the post of shogun existed was because the real political power in the Empire had passed from the royal family to the clans after the War of the Clans, about two hundred years ago. Following that civil war, the Emperor had become a largely ceremonial role, while the shogun, indirectly elected by the clans, held true power.
Leonardo glanced at Oroku Saki. He had expected to find him furious, but his face was still cold and composed. Leonardo felt his confidence falter. It doesn't matter, he thought to himself. Leonardo's purpose wasn't taunting Saki, it was persuading the Assembly to vote for him.
"Thank you, Hamato-sama," the Mystic said. Leonardo bowed one more time and went back into the crowd.
"Shall the Abu clan recommend a name to His Majesty's attention?" the Mystic said.
"Nay," said a human.
The Mystic called several other clan representatives, but most of them answered "nay" as well. Only the major clans usually recommended candidates, since they were the only ones with a chance to gather enough votes.
"Shall the Miyamoto clan recommend a name to His Majesty's attention?" the Mystic went on.
Leonardo clenched his fists. That was it, the moment of truth. He stared at the Miyamoto representative, an old human with a long mustache.
"Yea, we recommend Usagi."
Leonardo swore in his mind. He looked disheartened at his friend making a step forward and bowing to the Emperor. He and Usagi were adversaries now. That thought still sounded terribly wrong to Leonardo.
"Your Majesty, my name is Miyamoto Usagi. As it has already been brought to Your attention, Oroku Saki-sama's decisions brought a great deal of sufferance and losses to Your Nation. I will not repeat the arguments that have already been raised by the honorable Hamato-sama. The Miyamoto clan subscribe to them.
"The Assembly made a terrible mistake ten years ago when it recommended Oroku Saki-sama to You. The Miyamoto clan's voice was one of the few that rose against him. Our counsel wasn't any less wise than the Hamato's that fateful day.
"However, the ongoing war against the Triceratons is not the only source of worry for other clans and mine. The reasons of Oroku Saki-sama's bad administration can be undoubtedly be ascribed to his personal ambition, his hunger for power, his belligerent nature, his political short-sightedness... But we think there is more to it than that.
"In the old times, when the Empire was at the peak of its prosperity, the office of shogun used to be reserved to the wisest among the samurai. We samurai are the oldest institution of this Empire. We are the keepers and preservers of ancient values.
"This tradition has recently been forsaken and Your Majesty has witnessed the dire results.
"I do not wish to insult or belittle my ninja brothers and sisters. Ninja are worthy subjects of Yours and their help has proven invaluable countless times. However, only an Empire where everyone knows their rightful place can be a prosperous one. Only an army where all soldiers keep their formation can be a powerful army.
"Some roles may be more important or prestigious than others, but they are all equally essential. Both the soldier who disobeys his commander's orders and the commander who disregards his explorer's report will ultimately be responsible of their army's defeat. I say this without contempt: a ninja's place is not to sit on Your right.
"Ninja are masters of deceit and lies. We are all thankful to them for their service because their actions, despite being dishonorable, are powerful tools in Your rightful hands. But a master of deceit and lies should not taint Your ears with their counsel. The masters of deceit and lies should be directed by a master of virtue and honor, if we are to defend the integrity of Your Empire.
"For this reason alone I humbly ask to be appointed shogun. The ninja are the hands of Your Empire, let the samurai be its heart."
Usagi concluded his speech with another bow and walked back toward the crowd. His and Leonardo's eyes met. Usagi gave him a saddened gaze.
Leonardo, on his part, could not conceal the concern in his. The meaning of Usagi's speech was basically: "Don't vote for Leonardo because he's a filthy ninja," but he had actually managed to say that while sounding at the same time the most ninja-friendly samurai in the whole Empire. And they say ninja are the sneaky ones!
The Mystic went back to calling the representatives one by one. A few more candidates stepped forward to give their speeches, but Leonardo didn't really pay much attention to them. They were all Progressists, the political adversaries of all the Conservative forces. Compared to them, even Oroku Saki and his Warmonger faction were preferable alternatives. Leonardo listened to a few sentences, but he soon realized it was just a waste of time. Open borders, free trade with the Utroms, more equality among the castes... It was just their usual nonsense.
Finally, the Mystic addressed the young Oroku woman, Karai. Since the current shogun was from the Oroku clan, his clan had the privilege to give the final speech.
"Shall the Oroku clan recommend a name to His Majesty's attention?" the Mystic said.
"Yea," Karai said, with a cold voice that matched her Master's, "We recommend Raphael."
Leonardo had almost forgot about him. Intrigued to see what he looked like, Leonardo tilted his head to see who was stepping forward. And there he saw him. A turtle wearing a black kimono with red decorations.
Leonardo felt immediately drawn to him. There was something so inexplicably potent about his look, about his posture, about the way he walked. Raphael was the tallest turtle he had ever met. He looked slightly more muscular than Leonardo's too. But there was more. It wasn't simply his body. His whole figure somehow exuded a sense of confidence that upset Leonardo greatly.
But nothing had prepared Leonardo to his voice. As Raphael started to speak, Leonardo felt a shiver down his spine. His voice was rough and it had a strange peasant accent that made him sound uncultivated.
"Your Majesty, my name is Oroku Raphael. Everyone before me spoke ill of Oroku Saki, so I guess it's be up ta me ta defend my clan's honor.
"I think the way he's been judged is unfair. Ya can't judge a war until it's over and this war ain't over yet. I'm sure that if we don't give up we'll eventually defeat the Triceratons. We lost a few battles, but we can still win. What kind of warrior surrenders when he still got a chance ta win? Apparently the Hamato and the Miyamoto would call that warrior "wise." I'd call him a coward.
"Do I think that Oroku Saki's been a good shogun and that the war should go on? Yes. However, it seems that this war caused a lot of discontent among the clans. And I suspect that Ya, in Your infinite wisdom, would rather have a strong Empire than a larger one.
"So I have only one thing ta say. If Ya choose me, I will be honored ta serve Ya and ta bring Your armies to victory. But I don't think Ya will and it's probably for the better. I trust Your wisdom. But I beg of Ya, don't let Oroku Saki's supposed failures make Ya forget about our traditions. Please, choose someone who won't tear this country apart. Someone who won't allow the Utrom's alien science and philosophy ta corrupt this country.
"This is the only thing I ask. Choose peace, but defend our traditions."
Then Raphael walked back toward the crowd with a mysterious smirk.
The effect of Raphael's speech among the presents was explosive. The crowd, which had been respectfully silent during the whole ceremony, was now murmuring. Many had shocked expressions and Leonardo guessed he probably had one too. "What kind of game is Saki playing?" he thought.
That speech made no sense. That wasn't the kind of speech of someone who wanted to be elected. This speech was a message, but Leonardo couldn't understand its meaning.
"The Emperor will now meditate upon the arguments He heard," the Mystic announced. "The assembly is adjourned at noon."
As Leonardo bowed, he came to a conclusion. As much as he hated it, he had no other choice.
He needed Michelangelo's advise.