It was a nice day in the Island of Sodor. I was doing my normal routine as the titular Monarch of Sodor. Often, I love to sightsee around my Duchy, especially the old castles. The railway is the most important part of the industry of the Island, and it's good too, because our locomotives talk, so our engineers have someone to talk to. The most important of course is Thomas.
You may wonder why I'm in such a great mood? Well, it's because Sodor is currently under the best times since the days of Chancellor Awdry. The current Chancellor, Brenner, helped get Sodor out of a dictatorship in the hands of the previous Chancellor Miller. We're finally free, even if I had to dismiss the council temporarily. Anyway, my train is here, so I must get on. It's old Edward!
"Hello, Edward!", I said, "How are you doing this fine evening?", "I'm doing great, Robert, just taking some passengers around the capital, Suddery, I'm honored to take you around too, you're Majesty." He replied, I chuckled and said, "Please, just call me Robert! Anyway, that's a little different, being honest, I don't see engines like you in Suddery that much." Edward thought for a second, "I don't really know...I guess that's more reserved for planes, like Jeremy?" I agreed with Edward, I suppose engines are more reserved for the countryside, which is where tourists often go.
We arrived to Suddery Station, and I departed off. I went to address the people of Sodor, with the 8 Famous Engines alongside me, for I was to make a great speech. I prepared, and memorized my lines to a tee. I got onto a pedestal, and the 8 famous engines whistled, or rung their bell in Toby's case, and I was about to make my speech.
"Ahem, hello, I am Sir Robert Norramby, Robert II of Sodor. I hereby open the Royal Palace to visitors, I ask that you do not disturb me while I'm doing my royal duties, or when I'm sleeping, but if I am free, which I usually am, I will be happy to take you on tours around the palace!" The people of Sodor and tourists clapped, as he cup the ribbons with a sword.
Yes, indeed, life was good in Sodor. It was a long, but fun day showing the tourists around my palace. Oh, how could I have lost so much track of time! It was 10 at night, I must get to bed! So, I got into bed with my wife, the Duchess, and we slept. Awaiting the next day.
It was 7 O'clock. Chancellor Brenner rushed into my room, waking me up! What happened? He told me a coup just happened, and now Sodor...is under a civil war?! Such a thing has never happened in this nations history, but it was true. The people who attempted the coup was a corporation known as "Mattel Logistics", which was exploiting the island. Now they want complete control. Chancellor Brenner had informed me that they mostly control the North, along with Misty Island. I was afraid for my life, I didn't know what to do! I got my wife up, and we went into the courtroom, and we tried to conduct a plan. My plan was that I was going to find Thomas, contact Sir Topham Hatt, and go from there.
I got off my throne and my wife said she was going to help the people of Sodor remain calm during these dark events. I went to find Thomas, he was in the shunting yard. Thomas, while on his shunting job, is surprised to see me, but without my usual cheerful face, but more of a face of shock and fear.
"Hello, Thomas. I must get into your cab, if you don't mind? I must tell you about something...it's important to all of Sodor." I said, Thomas was worried, "Of course you are welcome! What's wrong? You don't look happy! What's going on on the Island of Sodor?" Asked Thomas, Thomas had no idea about the internal Politics of my Duchy, or any idea of what was happening to the Chancellor or me, I tried to keep it simple, and safe to preserve the innocence of Thomas, "Thomas, have you noticed that this...corporation, Mattel, has started to exploit the island a bit? The Chancellor, Andrew Brenner, has attempted to rebel against Mattel, and it's started a bit of a...civil problem, on the island. I need you to take me to Sir Topham Hatt, and perhaps your cheeky antics will help me during these times of darkness." I explained to him.
Thomas was shocked! "Oh, no! I hadn't heard. This is terrible news! I'll take you to Sir Topham Hatt right away to let him know what's going on. I'm sure my cheeky antics will help in these dark times...I'm a Really Useful Engine, after all!" He said, I grin at Thomas' personality, knowing he is going to help me. "Shall I explain all of what happened, Thomas?" I asked, he said "Sure. It'd be great to know more of what's happening, I love Sodor, and I love working here, I wouldn't want to see it go."
"That's the spirit, Thomas, anyway, it all started in 2004, when the Parliamentary elections happened, and Stephen Asquith was elected Chancellor of Sodor. He was the CEO of Hit Logistics, a Technocratic company that promised to make new innovations to our island. The Technocratic rule of Hit Logistics was an interesting one. They made the most weirdest innovations, such as an Ice Cream Factory. He was in office from 2004-2009, until he was succeeded by Sharon Miller after Hit was bought by the Mattel Corporation. Under Sharon Miller, Sodor was at it's worst in it's history. It transitioned from a simple Technocracy to a full-on Authoritarian Capitalist state. Sharon Miller is remembered as one of the worst Prime Ministers in modern European History. However, the Sudrian Revolution happened in 2012, thus began the Sudrian Spring. After the revolution, the New Prime Minister, Andrew Brenner was in office from 2012 to 2018, through an era known as the Sudrian Spring. Under his rule, life was almost as good as it was in the Awdry Era. Brenner is known as the best non-Awdry Prime Minister they ever had. However, in 2018, Mattel created a counter-revolution, and began the Sudrian Winter. The current CEO of Mattel Corporations took full control of Sodor, but than Andrew Brenner started to rebel, starting the Sudrian Winter and the Sudrian Civil War" I was finished explaining, Thomas was surprised, and a bit sad to hear.
"Wow! I had no idea that Sodor had such a dramatic political history. This is all news to me, Robert, thank you for taking the time to tell me. How can I help?" He asked, "Well, I've heard rumors that they're trying to clone you and your friends. They are calling it 'Project: All Engines Go'." I replied, "A clone of me? What are they planning to do with these clones? This 'Project: All Engines Go' sounds like an ominous name. Could it be some kind of dangerous experiment?" I looked down for a second, than back to him "Perhaps...anyway, are we close to Knapford? I heard that is where Topham is." Thomas sounded a little more exited now, "Knapford is just ahead! We've made excellent time. I'll take you right to Topham." Thomas stops, and I get off. I thank him, and he departs, I went to Topham, who was there making sure everything was alright, though in his mind he was terrified of what was happening currently.
I approached the fat controller at Knapford station after getting off Thomas. Thomas whistles and departs to continue his shunting work. "Hello, Topham, we must talk about something, it's important." Sir Topham Hatt looked at me, "What is it, Robert? What do you need to talk to me about? I'm a busy man, always on the go!" I nod, "Apologies for any interruption, It's about the current state and affairs of Sodor, and how Mattel is exploiting your railway." Sir Topham hat nodded, for he was aware of what was going on, he was quite cross at what was happening. "They are trying to clone your engines. As you know, Sodor just entered a civil war, the good news is that King Charles III of England offered to help us, which I accepted, and I plan on going to Equestria to request the help of their magical capabilities, the bad news is they're trying to clone your engines, here's a representation of what they may look like." I show the picture to the Fat Controller, it was a weird misshapen version of Thomas with a cartoonish face and unrealistic looking proportions. "Now, the reason I approach you. Mattel's territory is in the North and Misty Island, so I request you don't assign your engines to go there because of military activity. I've told Thomas about the events of Chancellor Brenner trying to rebel against Mattel, and the Sudrian Winter. I encourage you tell your engines about it, however, try not to be blunt about the war part, you don't want to scare Percy or any of the other little engines." Topham agrees. We thank eachother, and we get on Duck to go to Tidmouth Sheds to inform the engines.
"...and that is why we request you don't go into those territories." I said, "Wait!" Replied James, "Don't they want to see my magnificent paintwork?" I look at James "They'll try to clone your magnificent paintwork." James quickly changed his mind after that. Harold the Helicopter flew down.
"Hello, Robert, you called?" He asked, "Ah, yes, I must go somewhere for another ally. Hey, Harold, can you go as far as Berlin, Germany?" I asked. "Yes, but I'll need to refuel a few times!" He answered. After about a day, we were in a highschool near Berlin. "Why a highschool?" He asked, "Because there's a portal to another world, we made friends with these talking horses. Perhaps they could help." Robert went through the mirror and into the Kingdom of Equestria...
I appear in a closet. The princess of Equestria, Celestia, hears me crashing and clanging. She opens the door, "Who's there?" She asks, "Oh, it's me, Robert II, remember? You sent delegates to Earth and I was the one you ended up meeting!" I replied, "Oh yeah! I remember! What do you need though?" She asked, "I'll keep things simple, a civil war is happening in my nation, and I need help from Equestria. The proposed treaty is known as the Pact of Harmony, we help you, and you help us, what do you say?" I suggested, she agreed and signed the treaty. Celestia said she'll give me some manpower and weapons.
"Of course, we don't have much use for our military here in Equestria, we'd be more than willing to send a regiment to fight against those tyrannical Mattellians" She replied, a noble, known as Comic Field, heard this, and went to Celestia. At this time, Celestia was having a little party, so she invited some nobles. "Ha! Damn right, Celestia. The Royal Equestrian Army has challenged them, and no one has ever beaten us! Not Changelings, not Discord, not even your own Sister when she turned to Nightmare Moon." Comic was pretty patriotic for his fatherland, if you can't tell, and Celestia replied "Well of course! Our armies and generals have served against the worst kind of things for thousands of years, these Mattellians are nothing but common brigands!" Celestia turned to General Spitfire, "Assemble a regiment of our top soldiers, I want them in the Sudrian plains within a week, to take down the Mattellian brigands!" Spitfire saluted his Princess, and replied "Yes ma'am! Alright, maggots, get through that portal and go train with the Ottoman Empire for a week, than I want your asses in Sodor!" She says, the soldiers go into the portal, and go to the Ottoman Empire to train. I look to Celestia, salute her, and go through the portal back to Sodor, awaiting the assistance.
A week later, the ponies return from the Ottoman Empire with General Spitfire and Celestia. At their side also are British soldiers, being led by General Sir Patrick Sanders. I was very exited, until I saw the forces of Mattel's hegemony, which consists of American and Russian soldiers, along with their own. We were prepared for a big fight, thus beginning the Battle of Suddery. The Equestrians using their magic, while the British use their ships, and their tanks primarily, the Sudrians, the main belligerents, actually had the weaker weapons I'll admit, we only really used our guns. This gave me an idea. After we were done banishing those Mattel bastards from Suddery, I went to Tidmouth, to give the idea.
"...Locomotive infantry?" Asked Gordon, "Oh the indignity! How are we going to do that?", "He's got a point, sir, how are train locomotives going to work in a war?" Asked a British soldier. "We can install men into coaches armed with artillery. It'd be a good way of using guerilla tactics, because they'll think it's just a normal train." I explained, they actually got it, "I'm more open to the idea, it'll make me not just important to the railway, but important to Sodor in general." Said Gordon, James was cross though, "It'll mess up my paintwork!" I look at James, "Would you rather be under Mattel?" I asked. James was silent after that. General Sanders, General Spitfire, and Sodor's finest general, Jeremiah Jobblings, all agreed it was a good idea. Celestia nodded to it, so from now on, we use Locomotive infantry!
It was a month. We retook Wellsworth, even after it was bombed by Mattel, and we retook Culdeefell. Our next step was to retake Misty Island. I commanded the armies to Misty Island, and it was basically like a Blitzkrieg, demising every Mattel soldier there. After our retaking of our most valuable source of wood. We discovered the Logging Locos were working for Mattel. Even though Topham may not like it...I must scrap them. I sent them to the smelters, to be scrapped by Arry and Bert.
In the north, Sudrian, British, and Equestrian soldiers encircled the last bit of Mattel's land. They officially surrendered, and it was back in the hands of Chancellor Brenner, at last!
A couple years later...there is still an insurgency. It doesn't matter that much, but still. There are rumors that the clones were created...I doubt that though, but who knows? All I know is that Sodor is safe, peace at home, peace in Europe, and peace on Equus...