Chapter 6
One week later
Unified year – Nov. 13 1926 – Hangar 51 – Imperial Airforce Base
Optimus Prime silently woke up from stand-by mode and met the usual scene that he usually saw every morning whenever he woke up. Professor Schugel always stood near the energon storage tank, ranting at his fellow scientists for whatever reason. Major Tanya would then always butt in at the professor whenever he make a mistake while her adjutant, 1st Lieutenant Serebryakov, would always stand beside her smiling with unease.
"Good morning," Optimus greeted while some of the scientists had greeted him back.
"Ah, good morning, Sir Prime," Serebryakov smiled while Tanya just ignored him.
"Oh Prime! I've just refilled your single energon storage tank! Excavation had started within the Koenigs mine and you're right, we found more of them," Professor Schugel reported in a proud manner. I do hope no one died again, Optimus thought as he praised the professor.
"Good work, doctor. I hope no one got hurt in the process."
"Absolutely no one!"
"You can tell that to Rebecca," Major Tanya commented and took a sip of coffee from her opened canteen; Optimus turned to her. Who's Rebecca- ...never mind. The autobot leader didn't bother pressing further; he shifted back to the scientists and then remembered something.
"Professor, could I ask a favor from you?"
Professor Schugel slowly turned to him, a wicked anticipating smile was beamed on his face. "What is it, Prime?"
Frag, he looks like Hannibal Lecter with that smile and I'm his prey.
"I want to experiment my human avatar, Professor."
The three went silent for a moment as they tried to understand what he had said. Then three in unison said: "Come again, Prime?"
Optimus only smiled at them as he repeated his request.
Hangar 51 – Medical Bay
"Interesting." Professor Schugel muttered in curiosity as Optimus, in his human avatar form, stripped off his upper clothing. The autobot leader then sat down on the edge of a hospital bed and spoke to the professor.
"When the Prince had slapped me, I felt a sensation. Pain, to be exact. But back on my previous earth, our human avatar forms didn't have any pain receptors. That pain…was very new to me, since I was in human avatar form," Optimus explained while Tanya stroked her chin, recalling the event that had happened one week ago.
"You did feel pain during the professor's examination," Tanya began as she looked over Optimus's bare upper body. "So what's the point of this experiment then?"
"I want to rate the pain in my human form. This was all new to me."
And I think the Matrix of Leadership has something to do with it. Optimus thought about the Matrix of Leadership back on his Cybertronian form. Ever since he'd gotten that- mixed with every time he prayed now- he became stronger than before. Perhaps the 'miracle' of the One had something to do with it...And perhaps that miracle had affected his human avatar form too.
"Ok, how can we experiment you?" Professor Schugel, perceiving his request, asked while he put both of his hands on his belt. Optimus paused and looked around until he saw Serebryakov in one corner, opening a metal box of breakfast biscuits.
"With food," he answered.
Serebryakov froze holding her biscuit in mid-air after she noticed everyone had looked at her. "Yes?"
"Serebryakov, may I ask for one of your biscuits?" Prime spoke and smiled as Tanya butted in.
"Wait a minute, I thought your kind aren't design to intake organic food."
"I'm going to test my sense of taste…and my digestive tract's response," Optimus explained his inquiry. Serebryakov moved to him and the Cybertronian autobot took a single biscuit. He observed its texture first and then put it in his mouth. Whoa…Optimus's tongue worked, sweet mix with salt and bitterness mix with sour flooded his senses and his receptor. "It tastes…a bit sweet and salty," Optimus commented as Sererbyakov looked at her biscuit's flavor. "This flavor is sweet and salty. Perfect for breakfast."
"Eh, wouldn't that taste bad?" Tanya said as she took one and chewed on it.
"So how was it Optimus-" Professor Schugel asked but then the autobot jolted from the bed, a warning sign appearing across his eyes.
'Warning, unknown organic object ingested, ejecting immediately!'
Optimus quickly dove down to one of the trash cans and began vomiting. The three looked around with confusion, perplexed with the reaction of the autobot.
"Optimus- you ok?" Serebryakov asked as he raised his left thumb up and continue vomiting.
"Well I guess it's a failure." Professor Schugel said simply and dryly while Tanya nodded in agreement.
"What's going on here-and why is Optimus vomiting?"
Just then, Lt. Colonel Rerugen entered and was startled by the sight of the Cybertronian's half-naked human avatar form vomiting over a trash can.
"Nothing—I'm fine." Optimus finally calmed down and saluted at the Lt. Colonel.
"We're just doing a little experiment with his human holo-avatar, sir," Tanya reported as the lt. colonel raised the folder up to his face to prevent them from seeing his reddening face. I see what you're experimenting at, he thought and gulped down hard while he stared at Prime's muscular broad chest, though he didn't pressed on further.
"Major Tanya and Optimus, your presence is required to the Strategic HQ today, before noon. The HQ had wanted to discuss something…regarding the report you sent to me one month ago."
Tanya and Optimus looked at each other. The report one month ago…the relic! The topic could've been the relic, which means they'd found it! The two of them smiled.
"Sir, is it about the relic?"
"If so then, sir, where is it?"
Rerugen fixed his bottom-rimmed glasses and looked at them with grim eyes. "Like I said, everything will be said in the meeting later."
Imperial Strategic HQ – Berun City Capital – Meeting Hall no.1
Optimus and Tanya eventually arrived at the Imperial Strategic HQ and immediately upon reaching the entrance they were asked to go to the Meeting Hall no. 1. Inside the Meeting Hall, top generals and important high ranking military officials were waiting. Some of them greeted Optimus with enthusiasm while others shook hands with Major Tanya; the two looked like instant celebrities in the meeting hall.
"Heh, looks like this is an emergency meeting."
"How so, Major?"
"Those high ranking officials, over there. They don't leave the strategy room unless the military intelligence discovers something bad." Tanya pointed over at a general talking to Rudesdorf; their faces were grim and heavy.
The lights then dimmed as the curtains blocked the windows and a projector lit up the wall in front of them. The meeting had begun.
"First of all, this is an emergency meeting," Lt. Colonel Rerugen opened with. The noises quickly died down as everyone started to listen to him.
"One month ago, I receive news from Major Tanya: Optimus had told her that his scans had detected another alien object."
A murmur of shock and surprise echoed along the room, but Rerugen cleared his throat and spoke further. "Now then, based on Optimus's scan range, said object was detected thousands of miles away from us. To be precise, beyond our defense line… To be even more exact, in St Northusburg."
So they know where it is, Optimus thought as the projection showed a picture of St. Northusburg. Again the crowd began to murmur in surprise.
"St Northusburg had just been declared as Russy's decentralized capital. They'd abandoned Moskva after Major Tanya's surprised attack," General Zettour added as he stood up from his seat and walked beside Rerugen. "So that would mean all of their forces would be concentrated there," the old general added as the image projection changed into another side of the city.
"The City of Northusburg houses the Russy Feds naval fleet. It is an ideal seaside fortress, for the city is also surrounded by five huge mountains and mountain ranges," Rerugen said as the next image came into view: battleships and cruisers running on the bay with their sailors standing proudly on the foredecks. "Now then, as for Optimus's relic…we don't know what it is." Rerugen added before the image changed again.
This time the whole room gasped in horror.
"Is that…the relic?" Major Tanya leaned forward on her chair. The image showed a huge square shape that was made from black metal and was standing in the middle of an empty field.
"Interesting." Optimus observed every corner and every surface of the object.
"Wait a second, our spy ring in Northusburg didn't know what it was?"
"What's your spy ring doing there? Did they failed to gather data?"
Rerugen fixed his glasses and his face became dark. "Unfortunately, all of the twelve agents within the spy ring…were killed. They were discovered."
The officials reacted negatively to what he said. Some clicked their tongues in disgust while others grumbled in disappointment. The last men who served as their eyes and ears on the enemy were gone.
"Which is why I called Optimus Prime here. Perhaps he could explain…what this object is." Rerugen then looked over to the crowd and into Optimus's blue eyes. The autobot leader stood up from his chair and walked to the front.
"Lt. Colonel Rerugen, I'm sorry about the spy ring-"
"Please just identify the object, Prime," Rerugen said but his tone wasn't an angry one. In fact, the autobot had detected sadness in it.
"Very well." Optimus looked at the large photo again and then his blue eyes caught something. "There's an inscription on the top right corner."
Rerugen's eyes lit up after he said and looked at the direction where Optimus was pointing. "Can we zoom in on it a bit?" the lt. colonel asked as the image zoomed on the portion. True enough, they saw an inscription- but it was written in another language that no human could read.
"Optimus-?" Zettour asked as Optimu's eyes squinted. And then the autobot's eyes brightened in recognition. "MACCADAM-Experimental-do not touch! I'm afraid that's all of what it says. The rest of the it is covered in dirt."
The room went silence for a moment before it roared in panic. High ranking officials started shouting and howling, confused with the square box in the picture that looked like it could certainly end an entire division of army.
"Wait—why does it say 'do not touch'? Optimus, do you even know what this is?!" Rerugen's eyes widened in anger as Optimus Prime back away a little.
"Please hear me well, Lt. Colonel-!" The autobot leader tried but his voiced was deafened by the harsh shouts of the high ranking officials.
"QUIET, ALL OF YOU!" Zettour roared and the room eventually quieted down. The autobot leader took a deep breath. Ok, they've calmed down. He thought carefully before he spoke; he didn't want another outburst from the crowd.
"But I know who Maccadam was. His real name was actually Alchemist Prime. He was one of the original 'Primes' and first Cybertronians to be created. He was a chemist, a very bright one, and he loved to understand the reality around him. He had the power to transmute metals into something, but there are rumors that he could transform more than just that." He paused and made a side-glanced to the crowd; the generals and majors were still silent and listening, intently.
"However, before the war occurred, he had lived as a humble bartender."
Everyone made a 'huh' sound as he finished his statement and then he heard a low chuckle coming from Rudesdorf who was sitting on the left corner.
"So what is it then? A scary looking martini shaker machine?"
I hope so. Optimus looked back at the picture before he turned around again to the crowd. "I know Macaddam. He wouldn't invent something dangerous as this…but even if so, it's still a relic. There's a high chance that this could be a weapon." He paused and looked back at the picture. "It says 'do not touch', which would mean it's something that is precious to him -"
"Or downright dangerous, am I right?" Zettour said as he moved his glasses; his blue eyes looked at the object with keen interest.
Just then, Rudesdorf cleared his throat and stood up from his chair. "Which is why I called everyone here." The brigadier general walked towards the front and stood in front of the image.
"Gentlemen, I think we have to move Operation Barbarossa much earlier than before. To be precise, I would like the operation to start five days from now." The high ranking officials roared to life. Everyone was startled at what he said.
"How's that possible? Some of our divisions aren't prepared yet!"
"Logistics are still in shambles, we need more time!"
"We don't have time, because we don't know what this thing could do!" General Rudesdorf stared the object angrily and then he slowly made a vengeful grin. "The primary objective of Operation Barbarossa was to invade the Russy Feds…the secondary objective was to either retrieve or destroy this object. And both goals can be done if we attack now."
Zettour then raised his right hand, signaling the officials to calm down. "Also, we receive news that the Russy Feds have moved their front lines back much further. We also learned that the front lines are thinned because the majority of the divisions were needed to reinforce the security around Northusburg." Zettour paused as he stoke his chin. "Rudesdorf's Operation Barbarossa could work effectively if we attack them while they are rearranging their divisions."
The crowd murmured and Optimus Prime watched as some of them began to agree.
"Also, just for effectiveness, we will send Major Tanya's 203rd aerial Mage Battalion as our scout troop."
Eh…EH…EH! Major Tanya's eyes widened in fright after she heard her battalion's name again. However, before she could react, everyone's eyes landed at her.
Shit…shit! "I—I'm proud to accept this duty, sir!" Major Tanya saluted and the crowd brightened up; at least the Ace Major and her Battalion would be included on the attack. Curse you, Optimus Prime! Tanya, however, was having a mental breakdown inside as she glared at Optimus. The autobot gave a sheepish smile and slowly moved behind Rerugen to hide, but the lt. colonel quickly moved after he shook someone's hand , exposing him again to the angry Major.
Wait, not just him. Being X too! Tanya then began to curse Being X, her long time foe and archnemesis who could be, and she absolutely swore it, laughing uncontrollably behind her back.
Imperial Strategic HQ – Lounge room
"Oi, Optimus!" Tanya sat down on the chair and glared at Optimus. The poor autobot only made a nervous grin. He knew the major was upset because she was just handed down the heavy responsibility of crossing the enemy lines. "Are you sure that thing isn't dangerous?" she asked and crossed her arms over her chest.
Optimus looked at the window for a moment. "I know Maccadam. He wouldn't invent something so dangerous."
"But you don't know it with certainty."
"I have faith in Maccadam. The metal box isn't dangerous. If it is, however, I will destroy it on sight. I don't want any of your men to die, major," Optimus said with sincerity and it made Tanya's frown soften a bit. At least they'd found a common ground again.
The door opened suddenly and the figure of Lt. Colonel Rerugen entered the room. "Oh you two are here," he said as he sat down on the chair across Tanya and rested back; a tired sigh escaped his lips. "Optimus, I just hope the box isn't dangerous and that your friend, Maccadam, is a good man," he continued while the autobot nodded and smile serenely at him.
He's the friendliest Cybertronians ever, lt. colonel. "Macaddam is a good Cybertronian, lt. colonel."
Silence enveloped the three before Optimus spoke again. "Sir, if I may…I would like to apologize about your spy ring. Being their handler might've been hard."
Rerugen cast a glance of bewilderment at the Autobot. How could he know such important information? "How do you know I was their handler?"
"You had the same reaction as my friend Ultra Magnus. He was once a handler of a couple of spies, back in the great war. All of them were caught and executed, though none ever revealed any information for our enemy." The Decepticons.
Rerugen's face calmed and the man turned away, towards the painting of Emperor Walpurgos hanging on the wall. "The Royal Palace is still silent. The Treaty Of Parisii has become the Treaty of Sham. We've been had and we're humiliated." He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose in a slow, tired manner. "Most of my agent's died in Lageria. Only one had managed to escape the Russy's. His name is Clarence Rhude; he's also the youngest, only age 23. He managed to escape with most of the photos intact. The pictures that I showed earlier were among the surviving good batches. Out of 300 photos, only 10 survived."
Rerugen took out a bundle of ten photos. He put it down on the coffee table and closed his eyes.
"My agents…the last person that they'd contacted was a man named 'Joel Miller'." He opened his eyes again and looked dazedly on the ceiling; a melancholic look was displayed on his face. "Joel Miller was the middle man, their tie to the Russy Feds…I think he's the one who ratted them all out." He shifted his gaze, back to the photos and moved them all across the table. "Strange. This is the clearest photo of Joel Miller but it only shows his back."
Tanya and Optimus looked down on the photo. It was the picture of Loria, head of Russy's NKVD; he was talking to a man whose back was facing the camera. So that must be Joel Miller…and that must be Loria- "Eek!" Tanya suddenly shuddered violently; she felt coldness running down her spine, as if the Russy man was looking at her in a perverted way.
"Tanya?"
"Nothing Optimus, I just felt chills," Tanya explained to Optimus as the autobot looked back again at the picture of Joel.
The man who betrayed the Empire's spy ring. Strange…why did he feel so familiar? The autobot felt that he knew the man from somewhere before.
St. Northusburg – People's Apartment Complex B
Optimus? Joel Miller slowly opened his hazel eyes and felt coldness around his body. The man was lying down in his own bathtub, still filled with water that was once relaxing and hot. Then he remembered that he had planned to take a bath last night before he went to sleep.
"Oh, right. I fell asleep again in the bathtub."
Tch, why did I forgot again? Joel stood up, water droplets running down his naked body making the air around him feel icy and chilly.
But the old man didn't mind. He went to his bathroom mirror and began to brush his teeth. The mirror reflected his muscular and toned chest, which bore a Decepticon symbol on the right together with the tattoos of elegant lines that spread across his chest. He then spit the water from his mouth and turned away, showing his bare back on the mirror instead; and, inadvertently, another large tattoo of his that had a shape of a moth's wings.
"Time to meet them again…" the old man muttered dreadfully as he took his Russy military uniform from the closet and began to change. He then looked into the full body mirror and tied up the buttons of his shirt. Today, I will meet the General Secretary Josef. I wonder, is he an idiot too? Joel smiled, grimly, as he brushed his hair to the left.
The old man took his briefcase and a wristwatch bearing the Decepticon symbol on the middle as he left. He swiftly closed the door of his apartment and locked it up after he took his black trench coat from the coat racket.
Unified Year – Nov. 13 1926 – People's Communist Palace – St. Northusburg.
Joel looked in front of him. A massive red building loomed over the man. The People's Communist Palace was the center stage of Russy's Communist Government. The country's future, the Party's plans, and other government affairs took place inside. Right now, Joel only stood in his spot and marveled at its size.
To think a stupid ideology could build something like this…but not as stupid as that statue! He turned around and looked towards the tall, grim-looking statue of Comrade General Secretary Josef. The statue was the largest and tallest statue in the entire world. It was build one month after the Tiegenhoff stand-off to boost the morale of the loosing Russy Soldiers. And, sadly, the stern and terrifying face of Secretary Josef had indeed struck the hearts of the Russy soldiers- in the most idiotic and positive way, they were all now stupidly fired up.
To Joel, however, the statue was nothing more but a huge junk of eyesore that he wanted to bring down with his own hands. Wow…that's a big pile of shit. "Waste of resources and it look like scrap," he muttered aloud.
"Isn't it amazing, Joel?" Joel almost jumped in fright after he heard the familiar voice of Loria, who was now standing beside him.
"Comrade, sir! Good morning. I was just admiring the beloved statue of our Comrade General Secretary."
Scrap I hope he didn't hear that 'admiration'! Joel gulped in nervousness as Loria cast an amused smirk at him.
"At ease, Joel. Let's go inside. You must be freezing out here."
People's Communist Palace – Meeting Room A.
Joel Miller silently sat on the left of Loria; his eyes gaped silently as he observed the reactions and gestures of each men sitting in their chairs in front of the table. There were eleven men inside room and all of them were the country's most important politicians. However, they were all worth very little compared to the man sitting in front.
So that's Comrade General Secretary Josef, huh. The old man made a secretive side-glanced at Secretary Josef.
The man was in his mid-fifties; he possessed clean cut graying black hair and a huge mustache on his wrinkled and hardened stern face. He looked like Alpha Trion's long lost evil twin…which, I'm glad, didn't exist. Joel lowered his head and smirked.
"And that's how it all happened." The man sitting across from Joel was the Defense Secretary was named Comrade Illyogre. He was a tall thin man with pale skin and small grey eyes that made him look like a cat. The men lowered their faces and some of them hummed in disapproved manner. They all seemed to be disappointment.
"So you mean to say, that Operation Jack-in-the-box failed because you were eventually overwhelmed by the Empire's mages and then the Temporary Enemy Advance Unit HQ was taken out in mid battle, causing the premature destruction of the chain of commands?" Josef spoke. His voice was heavy and filled with rising fury.
"Yes sir. However, I've made contingency plan. We could still afford another surprise attack," Illyogre said as he frowned nervously. Just then, Loria raised his right hand.
"May I speak, Comrade Josef?" he said and Joel crossed his hands and rested his chin on top of them.
Here we go, time to butcher Illyogre, he thought smiled discreetly.
"Defense Secretary Illyogre. Your Operation Jack-in-the-box was truly effective for a surprise attack…on paper," Loria began and Joel watched as Illyogre gulped and drank his glass of water. "So then do tell me…why was the Temporary HQ taken out prematurely?"
"It's because the commander at that time had made the foolish mistake of sending everyone to the field. He had lessened his HQ's guard-"
Heh, he blamed it on the foot soldiers. So typical, Joel wanted to roll his eyes but he only stared observantly.
"Oh? So you mean to tell me that those five division that you'd wasted weren't enough?"
"We-we did send a good 'message' to the Empire, saying that we're many and we could easily overcome them!"
Huh? So this is a psychological warfare now…by the Pits of Kaon?! Joel made a side-glance at Loria. The small man was now forming a dangerous and sinister grin directed at the Defense Secretary.
"No, you'd clearly sent a different message to the Empire: that we can easily be killed! And, speaking of 'being easily killed', let me refresh everyone on some of your reports again." Loria paused as he took one of those filed on the table and began to read. "'The attack happened at precisely 530 hundred hours at dawn. We were overwhelmed by the Empire's reinforcement, the 203rd Imperial Mage Battalion and their 'pet' Optimus Prime at exactly 900 hundred hours!' Could you please tell me what those five divisions were doing for five hours before the Empire's ace battalion had arrived?"
Optimus Prime isn't a pet. Joel's gaze pierced furiously at Loria while the Secretary of Defense gulped in terror and looked down.
"S-sir. They were trying to cross, comrade sir! The commander in charge at that time was definitely incompetent. He poorly executed the surprise attack. Yes that could be it-!"
This isn't a meeting; this is a trial, the old man thought while Loria shifted his stern eyes at him.
"Say, Joel what can you say about this?"
And now it's my turn. Joel glanced at Loria and then to Comrade Secretary Josef. He slowly lifted his right hand. "Permission to speak, sir?"
"Granted," Comrade Josef said uncaringly. The defense secretary cast an angry glare at Joel as the old man cleared his throat.
"Defense Secretary, Illyogre, forgive me for asking you this but: what is the purpose of this Operation Jack-in-the-Box?"
"Weren't you listening, you Unified States traitor?" Illyogre sneered and began to explain. "This operation was a surprise attack! Our aim was to get the Krie valley passage and lowlands, which the Empire doesn't have the right to share with us! This attack was also a revenge against what they did to us at Tiegenhoff," Illyogre said it in a proud manner and his face brightened with colors. Joel, however, only looked at him with plain, uncaring frown.
"So you mean to say this attack was all for revenge?" he said and his tone was filled with scrutiny.
"I care for the Motherland! This attack was seeking out vengeance-" Illyogre berated but Joel raised his right hand, asking him to stop.
"No, you know what I think. I think you're an incompetent man who wasted lots of resources, treated our soldiers like shit, and should be ashamed of himself for serving the Motherland with nothing but crap."
Multiple gasps escaped from the mouths of the politicians inside the room. Loria smirked in amusement while Josef raised both of his brows in interest.
Illyogre's face just turned paler and his eyes widened in rage. "How dare you! You U.S. traitor-! You've no idea of serving the Motherland—"
"And you've no idea of protecting her! Joel, however, has!" Loria cut in and cast a scornful scowl at Illyogre, silencing him. The poor man sat back as the small old man stood from his chair. "Ah. I forgot to introduce Joel Miller to the party, comrade secretary."
Loria smiled in a friendly manner at everyone. "Joel Miller was indeed a Unifidian, but he betrayed his country after he fell in love with our ideology. He had become one of us, a servant to the Motherland." Loria's introduction had the politicians looking at Joel with awe.
"I'm afraid I have no physical evidence that I'd fallen in love with the Communist Ideology; however, who needs proof when its all about the heart?" Joel said with a firm tone as he too rose and started to walk. "I've left in the U.S. because I felt sick of their freedom ideologies! Men who desires anarchy over order...their democracy is a sham! Women who can speak freely against each other, under the pretense of freedom of speech, without any respect to the social order! I hated it! There's no order in there. However, here…" The old man stopped. His hazel eyes became wide and tears began to flow as he spread both of his arms wide below the flag of the Russy Federation hanging above the room.
"The Russy Federation has the order, the peace, that the world needs, and the government that the people want. Anyone who fails to see this…is no human being at all," Joel slowly shifted his crying eyes at Illyogre and scowled. "Which is why I'm hurt when you send those precious men to the battlefield out of vengeance. 5 divisions, hundreds of men: gone in an instant. And all of them believed they'd died for the Motherland when no- they'd died because of your incompetence. They died because you selfishly fed your vengeful heart, instead of the Motherland's."
Joel finished his speech, taking out his handkerchief and wiping the dramatic tears from his eyes. The whole room was filled with clapping as the politicians made a standing ovation for his speech; they were so moved that, for some, they also shed tears
Ease peasy, scraplets goes squeezy! Joel smirked devilishly underneath his handkerchief.
"Splendid! I've never seen such a fan before!" Comrade Josef also jolted form his chair and started clapping hard, which startled Joel and Loria. Wait, so he can smile. I'm surprised. Joel only smiled back gladly as Loria raised his right hand in an excited manner like a school boy begging to be called by his teacher.
"Comrade Josef, I propose we fire Defense Secretary Illyogre replaced him with Joel Miller as our new Defense Secretary!"
"Wh-!" Illyogre darted to Loria but before he could answer, Josef made a nod and cast a prideful grin at the politician. "Indeed! That is good-"
"Wait, Comrade Josef, sir! I object to that idea. I can still-!"
"Silence, Illyogre! Do you want to earn a place in Ligeria!? Then be my guest!" Loria berated, silencing the former defense secretary, who only slumped down and frowned at the table.
If only you'd used your brain module more… I'm taking your place, tall guy. Joel looked down on him with his hazel belittling eyes and a mocking grin displayed on his face.
"From this day forth then, comrades! I welcome Joel Miller as our new Defense Secretary!"
"Huzzah!" Comrade Josef raised his glass to the air and the rest of the politicians had copied him. Joel also took his glass from his place and raised it too. Then the General Secretary shouted and declared: "For the Motherland, let's get those Empirian bastards and let's kill their 'pet' Optimus Prime!"
"Huzzah!" Josef, Loria and the other politicians gulped down the liquid inside the glass. Joel, without hesitation, also drank the liquid. Heat immediately crawled along his throat as he realized that the liquid wasn't water.
Oh frag, it's vodka and I just swallowed a full glass of it! Joel smiled as he watch Loria and the others throw the glass on the floor, shattering them. The old man only let go of his glass and watch it shatter into thousand of pieces.
"May our motherland win!"
"Huzzah, Huzzah!"
"Huzzah!" Joel shouted and threw his right fist to the air, hiding his left hand where his wrist watch was attached. Its surface was blinking red with an emergency message:
'Warning, unknown organic object ingested, ejecting immediately!'
People's Communists Palace – Men's Bathroom
"Blrdhfg!" Joel Miller immediately lunged to the nearest stall and vomited the vodka into the toilet. The meeting had just finished and the poor old man quickly excuse himself to the bathroom. Right now, the new defense secretary was kneeling on the bathroom floor expelling the liquid that he took earlier.
"I swear-to Primus-Unicron's ass-!" Joel wheezed hard and put his back on the wall. By Primus's beard and by Unicron's rear!-I'd never said such degrading things before…fragging commies! He scowled at the ceiling and immediately stood up to fix his black greying hair at the bathroom mirror.
People's Communists Palace – Office of the General Secretary
"Sorry, bathroom break," Joel entered the wide and spacious office of Josef. The walls were made of wood; the windows on the left side was wide, showing the grey sky outside. Josef and Loria were sitting in front of a large coffee table with the map of Russy feds and the rest of Europa laid out on the table.
"No need to hurry, Joel." Josef reminded in a dark and friendly manner while Loria only grinned in excitement.
"We're about to discuss our plan on how to trample the main force of the Empire," Loria added as Joel sat down on the chair in the middle of the two.
"Now then. According to my spy ring in Berun, the Empire will perform a massive inland invasion using their main force," Loria pointed on the map were several chess pieces were lined up. The black pieces were the Empires while the white were Russy's. "Right now, there are at least 100 army divisions stationed here on Northusburg. They are reinforcing the defenses here as we speak." He paused as he pointed on another set of chess pieces near the Empire's eastern border. "Currently, we've moved the front lines back and we thinned them with at least 15 army divisions only. The remaining 45 army divisions would be stationed here on the north, in the Bolgor plains."
Josef looked down on the chess pieces and noticed something odd.
"Why will the 45 army divisions be stationed there, in the northern Bolgor plains?"
Loria grinned and looked back to Joel. Alright, now's my turn to explain. Joel cleared his throat and began to explain.
"Comrade secretary, the front line is going to fail. A thinned front line would eventually give in to the Empire's main force. The plan is to create an opening so the enemy can enter. During that time, the 45 Army divisions would lay in wait here in Bolgor," Joel pointed at the pair of white rooks representing the 45 divisions, "-and after they passed through and after they've reached the Ilkan Mountain ranged passage way, the main force would certainly meet our 100 divisions. The 45 divisions then will move towards the back of the enemy's main force, enclosing them. Thus the trap is complete."
Joel grinned and added with pride. "And that, comrades, is the perfect trap. I call this Operation: Firefly Trap Jar!"
Josef nodded and listened to his plan before he asked a question. "What about the 203rd Imperial Mage Battalion and their 'pet' Optimus Prime?"
I sweat to the Allspark-! Joel's eyes blinked and hardened for a bit but then he grinned evilly as he moved the queen black piece inside to the middle of an enclosed white chess pieces. "I'm expecting them to be the ones who'll scout for the main force. I planned to lure them here on this city; they will be the first to die by the hands of our 100 divisions. Not to mention, we have Volunteer Mages from the Unified States and the navy stationed on the bay, comrade."
"Indeed." Loria snorted and made a perverted smirk as he took a black queen piece, which represents Tanya's Battalion and Optimus Prime and licked it. "Oh I can't wait to add Major Tanya and Optimus Prime to my personal collection."
And I can't wait to bash your head with a golf club, Loria. Joel only made a placid grin as Comrade Josef nodded to the plan.
"And what would you use to lure them in?"
"With this." Joel then took out the small cube which was modeled after the artifact that he and Loria had experimented on. "The cube, comrade, was discovered many years ago and the first time that we've had record of interaction with it was when 'Optimus Prime' arrived on our planet, which was…two months ago."
Loria pushed the cube towards the red dot where St. Northusburg was and placed it on the middle. "Which means this cube is somehow connected to their pet alien automata," the small old man said and chuckled viciously.
"Yes, Optimus Prime and this cube are somehow connected. And killing him and the Imperial 203rd Aerial Mage battalion, would certainly seal the defeat of the Empire." Joel ended, resting his back on the chair a confident and victorious smile spread on his face.
People's Communists Palace – Outside the Palace
Joel walked outside of the building and took a mouthful of cold November air. The intense meeting was finished and the first few hours had been hard for him. Almost got caught with that damn vodka, he thought and felt a tug behind him.
"Oh Comrade Joel, wasn't your first day with Comrade Josef nice?"
"Yes, Comrade Loria. It's truly a blessing to meet him."
Loria chuckled happily to his response. His car pulled up and his driver opened the door for the small old man. "Say, want to accompany me? I'm going to my favorite joint today," he invited as Joel's hazel eyes squinted for a moment.
"I would love to, comrade, but I would like to study the plans for tonight. I have to prepare for my first briefing tomorrow."
"Oh so sad. Well, next time then," Loria bid his farewell as his car closed and drove away.
Never will I ever join in your joint, 'Sir'. The old man withered at the receding car of the politician disapprovingly, before he walked towards his apartment.
People's Apartment Complex B
Joel entered his unit and locked the door immediately. He looked around; his hazel became predatory before he walked to his window and closed the curtains.
"Now then…time to see what Loria is up to," he said as he pressed a button on his watch. His watch glowed in violent hue before his clothes changed and morphed into something.
His gray uniform was replaced with a white, long, sleeve shirt with a silver bespoke grey vest over it; the elegant embroidery of a moth was etched on the left side. A red tie materialized and was tied around his collar while his pants changed into black ones held by a black belt with a Decepticon symbol on the buckle. Joel looked at himself in full body mirror.
"Interesting. Soundwave's choices are perfect."
He then pressed the button again on his watch; a long black and red colored trench coat popped out and covered his entire body. The old man then opened the window of his apartment unit and then jumped towards the roof top of the building in front of him.
"Heh…according to Laserbeak's report, Loria's car stopped on 45th avenue."
That's St Northusburg's red light district. Joel's eyes hardened and looked up to the sky. The familiar metallic glint of Laserbeak, Soundwave's mini-con, flashed a single light. He grinned and sprinted towards toward the edge before he made a leap.
St. Northusburg – 45th Avenue – Red Light District
Joel made one last leap onto the roof of a building before he landed with a soft thud. The man walked over to the edge and knelt on the floor. The building in front of him was bathed with neon lights and heavy red paints, which made him think that it might be a brothel.
"Hmph, human men, always seeking warmth from other flesh," the old man grumbled as he pressed his watch, summoning a single hologram screen.
He raised it and scanned the building in front of him. Now where is he- Joel then stopped after he saw the familiar stupid face of Loria, grinning maliciously from the window. He watched as the door behind him opened and a handsome service waiter greeted him. "Hmm? A gay bar—no I saw some women earlier entered-" and then he stopped and his hazel eyes widened in shock.
The waiter then ushered two children; both girls no more than age twelve, wearing thin and revealing clothes. "Baby girls-by Primus-!" Joel felt revolted as he watch Loria caressed the two girls in soft, disturbing way before moving his hands to slowly take off their little clothes. The old man darted away from the edge; he no longer needed to see what will happen next.
"Tch, I may have been bad before…but never would I ever indulge in such obscenity such as that!" he spit on the ground in disgust before he pressed his watch again; the holo-screen lit up and showed its mode was now for communication.
"Joel to Nemesis. Joel to Nemesis. Reporting here: I've seen Loria already."
"Confirmation receive, Joel." Starscream answered and then he added: "So, how was your meeting with Comrade General Secretary?"
"They took the bait." Joel made a wild smile. "In five days they will attack."
"Good, that is good. Please visit Megatron at his location. A routine check up must be followed."
"Yes, Starscream, I will."
Joel pressed the button again on his watch and quickly leapt away towards his next destination.
Abandoned Scrapyard Pier – St. Northusburg
Joel walked calmly along the rotten docks beside a warehouse that overlooked the bay. The sun was already setting on the horizon. Dreadnought warships and small cruisers dotted his vision as the naval fleet slowly formed a defensive line along the coast.
"Heh, I could blow them up with fusion canon from this spot," he said darkly before he made a sharp left turn and entered the warehouse.
The warehouse was empty inside as Joel walked along the dirty floor. His boots made a heavy thud as he walked on the middle. "I'm here," he muttered as a gust of wind suddenly swirled around him and, after a moment, five futuristic looking construction vehicles appeared to line up on his left.
Joel scanned the construction vehicles seriously. Front-end loader, crane, bulldozer, concrete mixer truck, and lastly the power shovel, all in stand by mode. "Good work to you all, mini-cons. Continue staying like that for a bit."
He crossed his arms at them and grinned. "In five days, we will attack and you'll provide support. Understood?"
The headlights of the vehicles gave off a single flash of light.
The old man nodded and proceeded to walk to the end of the warehouse. There, he stood again in front of a red brick wall. He looked at his watch and pressed the button on it. The red brick wall slowly unfurled like a holographic curtain, revealing its contents. Joel now stood in front of a 32 foot Cybertronian. Its shoulders were broad and wide and covered with spikes. Its head was protected by a helmet that looks like a upturned bucket. Its huge frame possessed the colors of silver white and violet. The symbol of the Decepticons was displayed on the middle of his chest.
"Megatron." Joel whispered in a somber voice. "Hello there, Megatron…" he repeated again but Megatron didn't respond. His optics were still closed and his body was unresponsive. The old tyrant was sitting with his back on the wall; his arms lay on the floor, lifeless, while his knees were tucked into his stomach.
Joel then pointed his watch at its right foot and it began to glow violet.
"STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU U.S. TRAITOR!"
The old man froze and his eyes darkened as he turned around.
"Well, well, well, I knew something was up. So you've been hiding skeletons in your own closet, haven't you Joel?" the former Defense Secretary Illyogre said with a dark, sinister grin. Behind him were fifteen secret police agents and they all brandished hand guns.
Joel looked around before he replied. "Heh, so you're responsible of bugging my room and having fifteen of your finest secret police agents guard me twenty four seven for a year huh?"
He chuckled as Illyogre took out his gun and fired a single shot above him. The laughter stopped as the defense secretary walked towards him.
"This is your secret, huh? You're in league with creatures like Optimus Prime!" he pointed the nuzzle of his gun at the man's left temple but the old man only returned a dead gaze.
Illyogre then whipped his gun and Joel fell to the ground and groaned in pain. "That was…new…heh." A low surprised chuckle escape his lips as five of the fifteen agents walk over and encircled him.
"I can't wait to show this to Loria so that he can post me back as the defense secretary while you-" Illyogre walked over him again and kicked him right on the face. "-will rot in Ligeria." Joel glared at him before he shifted his eyes at the power shovel car and shook his head.
"Allow me…to tell you…something else, Illyogre." Joel coughed hard, spitting blood from his mouth before he gave a winning smile. "You lose." After he muttered it, the man pressed the button on his watch, triggering a message that says 'INSTANT 1 SEC. FORCE FIELD ACTIVATE!'.
The six grown men didn't have time to react as all of them were thrown away suddenly. "Gah-! What the-!" Illyogre struggle to look up only to see a horrifying sight. The right sleeve of Joel's shirt was ripped apart as the arm inside it changed into something metallic. Its surface glinted white and violet and it had a large weapon attached to it.
It's great to have my fusion canon back! Joel grinned evilly as he pointed his fusion canon at a secret police agent on his right. Purple colors built up at its tip before it blew the man into dust. He then pointed to his left and fired his weapon, then quickly raised the arm to his right, blocking a bullet, before he pointed his canon and returned fire.
"Wh—what are you!?" Illyogre crawled on the floor and attempted to dash at the door but the front loader near the door suddenly moved and blocked the exit. The rest of the men ran like spooked hens as Joel madly dashed forward to kill each one of them.
"No! No!" "Bang*"
"Please spare me-" "Bang*"
The cries of the agents rang against the warehouse but Joel didn't heed. He leaped and fired from the air, killing at three of the agents and then he spun and pointed his canon again and ended three more of the agents.
Ilyogre watched in terror and despair as Joel ended the last secret agent by blowing the man's head off. The Cybertronian man then turned back to him and the defense secretary screamed. He tried to run, only to hit something hard. Illyogre looked up and screamed in terror again as a 25 ft. Cybertronian emerged from the brick wall right beside Megatron.
Its face was that of a black visor and devoid of expressions; its body was thin and composed of stiff joints; its arms were long and narrow like they were part of an aircraft wings. "No!" Illyogre screamed again as tentacles crawled out from its body and snaked towards him.
"Soundwave, no. Don't kill him."
Soundwave's tentacles stopped inches away from the man's face. Joel walked over and touched one of the cables. "Thanks for the support but I got this. Tell Starscream that everything is fine. The attack will begin in five days."
The tentacles retreated back to his body and Soundwave made a bow to him.
"Soundwave, you can speak you know. I like it when you speak." Joel commented in a jocular manner as the Cybertronian glanced back at the frightened defense secretary.
"Soundwave superior, commies inferior." Soundwave's deep bellowing voice made the old defense secretary gasp for breath and then fall to the ground, unconscious.
"Heh, that always works. Now then go home and give my message to Starscream."
"Understood." Soundwave bowed again before he transformed into an MQ-9 Reaper UAV drone and blasted off to the sky through the hole on the ceiling. Joel was left alone again and the old man glanced back to the still sleeping Megatron.
"Five days from now, we will attack."
Joel rested his head on Megatron's right opened servo. A deep acheful sigh escaped him and tried to feel the warmth that was once present within the Decepticon. "Five days from now, I will meet Optimus Prime."
Joel turned around and glared at the unconscious defense secretary. "As for you, I will spare you and bring you back to your family." I think not even them will believe in your story, tomorrow. He smirked and walked towards the old man.
Outside Earth – Moon
Soundwave passed through the Earth's atmosphere and traveled towards the moon. It slowly became bigger and bigger as the Decepticon flew nearer to it. He then dove down and glided along its dead surface until he transformed and landed; he careened on the grey white sand until he stopped near at the edge of a crater.
"Soundwave reporting: Joel said everything is normal." Soundwave stood and faced another Cybertronian who was also standing on the edge beside him.
"Very good," Starscream said as the red and dark grey Cybertronian glanced at Soundwave. "You did well, Soundwave."
He spoke in a calm manner and shifted back his red optics to their original attention.
The Nemesis, the old decepticon warship, stood on the middle of a wide crater. Its hulking bow, together with its spikes jutting out of the hull, made it looked ominous; however, the second in command was watching some of the vehicons painting and repairing the ships outer hull. The old Nemesis sported a dark and heavy violet colors before, but now Starscream was watching the troops painting it with white and blue. It now looked less menacing but deadly enough for someone not to cross it.
"In 5 days, we will attack and support him," Soundwave said as Starscream's closed his red optics and thought hard.
"Well then, I guess we should take a gamble. Most of our troops are already prepared to attack," he replied and shifted his optics up. One of the landing lights on the hull was blinking rapidly.
Oh, was it that time already? "We should go back inside. It's time for our evening prayer."
Starscream and Soundwave walked silently towards the opened doorway that led to the wide hangar of Nemesis. His red optics then landed at another pair of Cybertronians. Shockwave, a 26 ft. decepticon whose metallic surface was colored in purple, black and grey, stood on the left. His wide body and single yellow optic watched as the two approached.
"Oh, there they are!" On the right, standing with the height of 50ft, was an autobot with colors of green, black and yellow. His goofy face cast an excited grin at the approaching second in command. "Just right on time. Am I right, Shocky?"
"My name is Shockwave, Grimlock," Shockwave said coldly as he moved his non-transformable left hand (which was, in fact, a cannon).
"How was work, you two?" Starscream eventually reached them.
Grimlock was the first to report. "We're 90 percent finished on repainting the whole ship. The outer hull is now sparkly white and blue!" Grimlock said proudly as Shockwave came second. "90 percent of the vehicons are replenished and ready to battle. Though I have to warn you, the Nemesis has little energon left."
"How little?" Starscream asked as they passed through a crowd of vehicons who saluted them all.
"We only have…100 days of flight time. The energon deposit in this moon is all depleted."
Hmm we have to conserve energy, huh? "After the nightly prayer, report to the engineers that we have to reserve every power that we have. Five days from now, we will attack."
"Yes sir."
Starscream smiled gladly as all of them reached the a door. The door opened with a soft whoosh, revealing an elevated platform with a workbench table and another long hangar; this time, however, it was filled with Vehicons. Ground units, aerial units and even the mining vehicons were all kneeling on the floor in silence.
"All three-thousand and five hundred vehicons are ready," Grimlock said as he moved away. He sat on the front row where the rest of the dinobots are sitting. Shockwave and Soundwave also moved and knelt on the left side. The silence had enveloped the hangar; all that was left was the faint ambient noise coming from the engine room below them.
"Let's us pray." Starscream glanced down on the workbench and smiled in reminiscence. The snow globe angel looked back at him, her frozen smile still displayed. A glow of gold was surrounding it as the second in command clasped both of his hands over his chest.
'Our Creator who art in heaven. Holy be thy name that shook the heart of the living beings and of planets and nations…"
Then slowly, Starscream began to glow gold, followed by Grimlock and his dinobot group, then Shockwave and Soundwave. The whole hangar was slowly began to be filled with golden, miraculous light seeping out from their chest as the Second in Command leaded the prayer.
'May our sparks be protected and not be filled by corruption again,'
'May our actions give birth to joy full life instead of cruel death.
'May our purpose be not of Deception that leads to lie but of Truth.
'AMEN'
Special Thanks to dropout-ninja for beta reading
Disclaimer: I do not own Youjo Senki and Tranformers Prime and last of us video game. All events and names here are purely fictional or alternate fictional.
Woo-hoo! New Chapter! I would like to thank the people wholeaves kudos, likes and reviews for my fanfic. You guys inspire me to write more. So guys! How was the chapter? What do you think the next event that will happen? Will the empire win and conquer Russy or will Russy win since they have a decepticon in their ranks? Who do you think Joel is and why does he seemed to be very close with Megatron?
Some Important points:
Lageri: a place in Russy Federation in Sidlberia which bears the same meaning as that of Gulag.
In the anime, during the first invasion, Russ Feds sent 175 divisions to the eastern front. They pushed back the empire's 60 army divisions in three direction in the eastern border.
Unified States: Is equivalent to USA in real life. In the anime their capital is Philadelphia. The place would be shown here in my fanfic!
That's it for today! Stay tuned for more!