The Rebel’s Empire- Part II

Sorry for the wait on this, I had a bit of writer’s block. 😛 Anyway, here’s the next two chapters of The Rebel’s Empire, as we dive deeper and deeper into this utopian empire.

Chapter 3: The Celebration

Commando and Cas winded their way through the crowds, listening to the blaring music and adoring the food, as they attended the official celebration banquet of President Commando.

“What’s wrong with you?” Cas snapped back into reality as he heard Commando’s question.

“Nothing at all,” Cas said stiffly.

“What are you so worried about?” Commando patted him on the back. “Come on, have some fun! This is, after all, my banquet.”

“Are you just ignoring it?” Cas suddenly whipped around, and Commando almost dropped his martini.

“Ignoring what?”

“The imminent outcome,” Cas said, regaining his cool composure.

“My dear Cas,” Commando said, “There are many, many outcomes to all situations.”

“Which is your problem!” Cas dowsed Commando with his drink. “Wake up! You are holding a very stable grasp on this empire!”

“Democracy,” Commando corrected coolly as Sergie approached, curious as to what all the trouble was.

“It’s a dictatorship!” Cas shouted, and punched Commando’s jaw, sending him hurtling to the ground. The party guests turned around in what seemed to Cas as a ripple.

Sergie broke the silence, “Get him!” he shouted as two penguins in security outfits rushed forward. Cas pulled a pistol from his tux and started firing at them. One guard hit the piano, making an ugly musical chord, as two other guards rushed toward Cas. Party guests ran left and right, tripping over rubble caused by the scuffle.

Cas blasted the first guard, blood pouring from his white dress shirt, as the other penguin knocked Cas to the ground and kicked his gun away. Cas opened a vile of rubbing alcohol from his suit jacket and splashed it onto the guard’s face, who screamed loudly as he collapsed to the ground.

Cas stood up, brushing his suit jacket and adjusting his bow-tie. He stepped over the guard’s possibly dead body.

“Never underestimate the power of rubbing alcohol.” Cas said with a mischievous grin. A brave soul began to clap for what Cas had done, but was shot down so quickly by Sergie that it was impossible to see who the penguin was.

“I have a stature of higher authority than you, Casiusbrutus.”

“True.” Cas picked up his pistol, clutching it tightly.

“So I suggest you exhibit the proper respect to me,” Sergie adjusted his bow-tie, just as Cas had done earlier.

“You don’t know who you are, do you, Sergie? You keep waltzing around under the shadow of Commando, who you couldn’t be happier with, babying your chances of being emperor, once he’s gone? You keep expecting that things will get easier. But once the final blow to your administration, your empire, strikes, you’ll be completely unprepared. The same people who shuffled Commando in will get him out. That’s how the army world works. Do not hope for an easy life; hope to become a better person.” He turned to the rest of the crowd. “Gentlemen, lock and load. For tonight, the rebellion begins.”

Cas blasted through a glass door and disappeared into the gloomy shadows of night. As the guests were calmed down by Sergie and turned to return to their seats, Commando was wheeled away in an Ambulance. Three guests that night found cards under the glasses that read.

THE REBELLION IS BEGINNING

You Must Help

546 Snow Ridge Road

12:00 MIDNIGHT

As the guests mingled as the party ended, the three penguins slipped away from different entrances, each of them thinking they were the only ones who were given this card. Suddenly, two of them bumped into each other while shuffling through the alleys. The first drew a knife and pinned the other to the wall. He lit a cigar to light up the figure’s face.

“Ganger?” the man holding the knife asked in disgust.

“It’s not like I’m happy to see you either, Capn.”

Capncook didn’t loosen his grip.

“Did you get that card too?” Ganger asked.

Capn and Ganger held up their cards to the light, finding they had the exact same one.

“Very well.” Capn said, “Let’s put aside our differences for now and find out whoever this is and what they want.”

“I have a very good idea of who it is,” Ganger hinted.

“Cas” Capn said.

“Now, what they want? That’s a whole ‘nother story.”

Capn and Ganger eventually arrived at the house, and upon opening the door found Cas and Omega sitting in chairs drinking coffee.

“We’ve found it.” Capn remarked.

“Welcome gentlemen,” Cas said, standing. “Take a seat.”

Capn and Ganger sat.

“I have welcomed the three of you here- Capn, Ganger, and Omega, because the three of you are masterminds of rebellion, and I am aware that in no way do you support this new empire. I am requesting you join with Bluesockwa, Splashy, Carter, Mchappy and I in Operation Black Snow.”

“Operation Black Snow?” Omega asked what everyone was thinking.

“The assassination attempt on our dear Dictator Commando and his VP Sergie.

All three of them tensed.

“At least give me a chance to explain.” Cas said.

“I have private quarters in the Presidential Mansion, because, as you know, I am his advisor.”

Capn suddenly rushed forward and pinned Cas to the wall with a pistol.

“So we should we trust you? Why shouldn’t we just kill you now, and take out one of the three men in Commando’s Dictatorship?”

“That position was not given with my consent. It is in place so that Commando can pull strings and pretend that he will listen to others besides himself.” Cas pushed Capn away. “If you will not be participating in Operation Black Ice, then get the bloody hell out of here.” 

Capn sat.

“Good.” Cas smirked. “Now, tomorrow we will rendezvous with Blue1, Splashy, Cart, and Mchappy at the ACP Base on Breeze for the first meeting of Operation Black Snow. Do you pledge your allegiance to this alliance?”

“Yes.” Ganger said first.

“Mhm.” Capn mumbled.

“Yes.” Omega said strongly.

“Now get out of my face,” Cas said, opening the door, and the three exited.

Chapter 4: Controlling the News

“Do you know why you are out of prison?”

“Yes.”

“And what about you?”

“I do.”

“Then you know what you are going to do?”

“I will not!”

A single gunshot.

“Funk’s tyranny is quelled, at least for now.” Commando spoke to Sergie. Commando’s jaw was bloody as well as his cheek, but Sergie was completely fine.

“Yes, it has been.” Sergie dared to speak, knowing what was coming.

“And your fate will be the same if you continue to stay to the sidelines as you did last night.”

“I know.”

“Than do it.” Commando whipped back around to Blue2.

“Get to work!”

Blue2 moved quickly out of the room and bounded down the stairs. He faced his new staff, and wasn’t surprised at what he saw. It wasn’t want he wanted to see, but rather what he knew he would see nevertheless: the staff was comprised entirely of RPF soldiers.

Commando and Sergie eased down the stairs behind Blue2, and Commando noticed his expression.

“Something wrong?” Commando said, smirking.

“Nothing, sir. Nothing.” Blue2 said, possibly a little too quickly.

“That’s what I thought. Now, Sergie and I will be in the corner office discussing things, and I want no one in there besides us. You are to meet with the staff. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Here is a list of topics and articles I would like to be published.” Commando beckoned to Sergie, who handed Blue2 the list.

Blue2 read down the topics,

A Brand New Dawn: The Empire

A History of Commando 717

“What I Plan”- An Interview with Commando

Sergie and Casiusbrutus Ecstatic to Be Given Positions In Empire

 

“This is disgusting.” Blue2 said aloud. All of the articles were pre written, completely biased toward the empire, and Commando’s history had been warped to make it sound like he was some kind of deity. Although, Blue2 wasn’t surprised at the last article. Cas and Sergie had always been supporters of Commando, or so he thought.

Blue2 snapped back into reality as he noticed the staff was watching eagerly. Blue2 only recognized two penguins in the crowd: ATM 23, CPAC’s new Secondary Head, and Ziehen, CPAC’s new Head Reporter.

Those two can’t write, Blue2 thought. Oh, right. They don’t have to.

“Welcome, staff of CPAC. I’m overjoyed to have you here, and very thankful to Commando for gracing me with the honor of keeping this position.” Blue2 read from a pre-written notecard that had also been provided to him by Commando.

Just get through it, he thought. It’ll be over soon, one way or the other.

As Blue2 continued his speech, Commando and Sergie met in what used to be Blue2’s corner office.

“We’re now in control of all outflowing news. And with that, we can brainwash the public. You wouldn’t believe how easily we can take control through the news.” Commando leaned back in his chair.

“The news isn’t everything,” Sergie offered.

“But it is all we need for now. This will happen slowly, and piece by piece we will build a fortress, metaphorically, of course. We will be unbreakable. The empire will stay forever.”

“And when you die?” Sergie said.

“Just because you want to take control already does not mean-”

“That’s not what I’m getting at. Once you die, who will take your place? We can’t afford to let The Empire crumble. Once you die, I’m afraid it will end up just like it did when you left your position as RPF Leader.”

“We rose again, though. For God’s sake, RPF took over!”

“RPF didn’t take over. We took over. You, me, Ziehen, Tucker, Kyle Cease, Elmikey, and ATM. There are only four of us left. You and I are in control of the empire, Ziehen and ATM are planted in CPAC to control outflowing news until what, forever? Until we’ve convinced the public? And then what? You’ll move them to the quote-un-quote next step? Once the four of us are dead, what will happen to the empire? It will crumble. That’s the inevitable truth.”

“You’re sounding like Cas.”

“Well then maybe Cas is right!”

Commando stood, his chair falling behind him.

“You are overstepping the line, my friend. I gave you the opportunity of a lifetime eleven years ago and you screwed up! You got caught, and it’s a miracle I didn’t already kill you! You failed! You were foiled by a couple of ACP morons and a news reporter! Do you get that? It’s a miracle I haven’t already decided to kill you, and I’m not even sure why I haven’t!”

Commando walked forward and whacked Sergie with the butt of his pistol, and he collapsed to the ground. Commando picked up a walkie-talkie.

“Get me a plane. I want out of here.”

“Yes, Mr. President. Straight away.”