CHAPTER 5

"Let's meet the queen (part 1)"

FLASHBACK…

As the other members of the army staff in the Kremlin meeting room were leaving that morning, Relius and Valentin were told to stay, while Molotov's unconscious body is still lying and sleeping peacefully on some sheets of cloth.

Brezhnev had to talk to Relius while he was seated. "Please… take your seats."

While Valentin did so, Relius remained standing. "I don't think it would be appropriate since…"

"I insist." Brezhnev pointed it out to her and she took her seat just beside Valentin. "I had to do this because you are simply quite the figure while standing in your beliefs. We had to believe you here and then since we were running out of options. But… why did you go directly to us?"

Relius glanced towards her companion colonel before glancing back at Brezhnev. "It's not that I don't trust the men outside this room, but I simply wanted to reach out to you."

"To me?"

"It's both in the reason of protecting your country's interests while getting alliance with your military and another personal one to add."

"And what might your personal one be?"

"It's about… doing what my mother intended. She… She was an Angeloid like I am. I'm a half, you know."

"Oh? Aren't rulers supposed to be fully in whole for something?"

"If you're talking about nationalities, yes. Race also follows the idea of being whole as a ruler, but it didn't matter to King Austerys."

"He's still king in his own right, and you're allowing it?"

"He can keep his own position. I don't care. He let me keep mine."

"Then you really did have a war against each other." The General Secretary sighed at this idea and story of hers. 'So this is what becomes of the hate from loving rulers of a country or a planet then.'

"I'm not afraid of him, General Secretary." Relius spoke of this with her faith. "I let go of my feelings from Austerys a long time ago. Based on what I felt more about my mother's presence from before, I realized and saw what she wanted: A peaceful coexistence. The last of the Angeloids were out and about in space the whole time before she ever got to meet Rostra, father of Austerys in Planet Neuroi. The Angeloid race is spread all over, not known to many. Hopefully I'd meet another one such as myself, even as a hybrid."

"I bet you still can." Brezhnev's comment rather made her blush a little. "There's always a good time to do that only when you're truly…"

"…satisfied? Perhaps not."

"You never know. Relius… it's not a guarantee everyone will be able to accept the Neuroi race entering in society as a matter of coexistence. Sure there's going to be something like that, but alliances need to made first."

"That's why I'm making sure the priorities of protecting an important package goes first. It's not that I want to pick a country to boast for herself while being helped by who you think are powerful than you are."

"Are you?"

"General Secretary, power isn't how I would want to express myself with. I want to express myself as much as possible through commitment, and somehow peace towards another. Even being pure of heart doesn't save anyone from getting hurt. I doubted the first time in Planet Neuroi would be my last and I was right. If I'm going to stick to my faith in helping humanity out while being hurt, then so be it. I'd be careful how I'd handle my own power against anyone. But as long as I have it, I just do whatever I can."

"Wise."

Valentin decided to ask. "Queen Relius, even with the Red Neuroi who would be opposed by your faction, would anything change? Wouldn't that just put you in his sights since you would have revealed yourself?"

"That's how I would want him to find me. I don't care if he hears about me. He would hear me while I push of my waves of forces upon his. I'm going to make sure he regrets ever destroying our own home. I wanted us to live in harmony. But now that he's broken it, that peace between us, I'll make sure… to break him back." Her own response rather made her alienated a little. 'Is that how I really think of him? Is sacrificing a life much more worth it now?' She sighed at her own thoughts. "I guess… that's how I must think now."

Brezhnev laughed at the matter of how Relius spoke. "Hahaha… You certainly have a way of expressing your emotions on this! It seems you and I aren't so different."

Relius chuckled at it. "Maybe."

"Hehe… Whatever the result of this operation, I hope you find your way out of it. It isn't healthy."

"I couldn't agree more… comrade. Spasibo. YA ne znayu, kak otblagodarit' tebya. (Thank you. I don't know how to repay you.)"

"Pochemu vy poblagodarit' menya? (Why are you thanking me?)"

"Perhaps… I've seen a more natural side of me. Angeloids have a sixth sense on other species. It's not like I want to be hostile, but we easily sense hostility. I do sense it from you, but it's now so little, like you trust me."

"Maybe… it's about the past." Brezhnev sighed at it before he browsed at one of his pockets. "Have you ever traveled to Belgica?"

Relius smiled as she already realized what it's about. "Yes. It's peaceful there. It's not just peaceful but also a happy place to begin with. It's like while no imminent danger comes to them, they enjoy what life has to offer them." The smile slowly faded. "But it's too bad one of the towns I went to was attacked. I had to defend the town by myself. It was about a year ago, you know. I even had the chance to save a girl…"

"named Ylvie." Leonid then held out the picture he held in his hand and reached it out to her. "Perhaps you know her."

Relius took the photograph and looked at it. She smiled at the picture. "It seems she's getting somewhere. This is her in a training uniform, right?"

"You see… she's also the last descendant of Tsar Nicholas II, while, she's my niece. Hehe… I never thought I'd see her really grow into someone… mature."

"Hm? Mature?"

"You see, after that incident in Belgica, she manifested magic. But her familiar was able to get her to be quite a mature thinker for some reason."

"A familiar… A spirit animal. What's her familiar?"

"If I'm right, she has an Orussian hummingbird as her familiar. It's pretty rare to find around Moscow. I'd say that kind of bird can be found at the northeast side of the country."

"Still… why did the familiar make her mature?"

"That's what I still wanted to ask her. Unfortunately, her own aim in getting strong began when she participated in Orussian military intelligence tests and I lost track of her when she was still making. She passed with flying colors, and her optimism kept her going that even got her to go for the roughneck military ways as well. It was the same thing. She was becoming a prodigy for quite a short while. I remember an associate was telling me that her strength in her mind and body began when she believing in angels flying so high they'd be unbeatable."

That made the queen surprised. "Wait… are you saying…?"

"She's strong-willed like you are. And by this time…" Brezhnev chuckled. "You'll see when you meet her. I know you'll be revealing yourself if ever this operation would succeed as planned."

"Great. I can't wait." Relius said it with a smile, and she glanced at Valentin. "Colonel, what do you think?"

Valentin chuckled at the thought of Brezhnev. "You'll meet her soon, I think."

Relius smirked at Valentin. "I can't wait then."

END OF FLASHBACK…

Xala was walking in the throne room while seeing the queen pacing back and forth while rubbing the smooth ball she always held. 'What is she thinking right now?' She even noticed Kaziri wasn't there for the meantime.

Relius sighed as she felt the smooth surface of her ball as she walked. "Sometimes, feeling pressure is just… human." She muttered it to herself before…

"Your Majesty?" Xala's call got the attention of the queen. "I'm here as you requested."

The queen finally stopped walking and smiled. "Ah, defector Xala. How are things?"

"It's been going well, I guess."

"You guess? What about it?"

"Well… Ember is still undecided about things. She's training as usual with me, but it's not going to last if she's still doubting herself. I mean… that last incident about her being in a rampage… she's taking it too seriously it's even dropping her confidence."

"So then what is she undecided in?"

"Sadly… it's about her true identity, even as a hybrid." Xala sighed. "See… She's not going to make it in the battlefield or in space at any matter we talk about it."

"Can't you go by yourself?"

"If I go by myself, they wouldn't recognize me as an ally. You remember when you said those pods have weapons too? Although they're stuck in space, your subjects aren't to be messed with. And they might think I'm still an enemy."

"It's true." Relius frowned at this. "You still need someone, but we're already tied up here. Plus… we can't attract any unnecessary attention."

"What do you suggest, Your Majesty?"

"They might not know my new Elite Guards either. At least with a phantom hybrid, they'll be convinced that you're not enemies…"

"…together with Ember. But she's still not coming." Xala groaned at this, now starting to worry. "Ugh… It's no use! She's hopeless! If she can't decide for herself on this, what the hell are we supposed to do?"

Relius crossed her arms. "I don't think it's nice in keeping them in the loop for any longer."

"So you want to meet her?"

"No. Not just her. I'm making sure I bring the rest of the 501st here."

"What about your plans on mobilizing defenses in space for the op?"

"Kaziri is currently handling it. That's why she's not here."

"Then you call me here for what?"

"I'm here to tell you simply: Prove yourself before I get you to be one of us. The Neuroi Assault Group is to immediately form up once the Blue Neuroi have publicly shown themselves, with me as the first. You'll be leading that group along with your comrades and Ember herself. But to do that, you must make an escort from the ground to the atmosphere for the cosmonauts' shuttle. Saiojin's escorts will be making their way to escort the shuttle from there."

"That's clear, Your Majesty."

"Good."

"So what now?"

Relius chuckled at it. "What do you think? I'll be visiting my new friends in Baltland."

"So you're going to just show yourself in front of Minna herself?"

"Isn't that my plan? Think fast." Relius then threw the smooth ball at Xala. When Xala already caught the ball, Relius spreads her angel wings wide. "I'm nervous, but also excited for this, Xala. This will indeed make strong ties with humanity."

"Relius!" Valentin ran in the throne room but stopped in his tracks when he saw a Liberion-looking Neuroi humanoid. "Whoa… Who is this?"

"This is Xala, a defector from the king's forces."

"Oh."

Xala smirked at the Orussian colonel. "An Orussian, here? So this is what you've been getting into, Your Majesty?"

For some reason, Relius blushed a little. "Don't get any funny ideas, Xala." Then she glanced at Valentin. "Colonel, what do you want?"

"Relius, I just came here with a confirmation report: My father… He knows too."

"So?"

"Prime Minister Aleksey Bosconovitch wants to put a stop to the launch. He says he fears the safety of the cosmonauts. And… with the idea of a Neuroi agent helping them out will not change the fact the Kremlin already betrayed the country. He may be one man, but he's putting himself in a difficult decision. If the rest of the Kremlin army superiors ignores this though, he might just talk too soon."

Relius is surprised of this and frowned. "And he'll say bad things about us too."

"What do you think, Queen Relius?"

Xala commented. "I don't think it should change anything. As soon as the shuttle is off, maybe we should make sure the queen reveals herself then?"

The queen sighed and started to walk while she folded her wings. "Then it looks like I have to speed things up. As soon as I meet the 501st, the better. I can trust them as much as they can trust new allies giving new hope. I'm not about to let a Prime Minister's opinion mess our objectives. We're here for peace. It's his opinion if he wants to say otherwise." And the next thing she knew, she was already nearing the door. "Xala… you can come with if you want."

Xala chuckled. "I was planning too."

"What about me?" Valentin seemed to be left out and Relius looked at him with a smile.

"I'll be back soon. I promise." Relius winked at him and she continued on as she opened the door and walked out, with Xala following her.

Valentin was blushing as he turned himself around, pondering in his thoughts with the very first haunting him. 'What the hell does she mean?'