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Thaddeus Duke · (03-19-2017)

Saturday, March 4, 2017 | 1:02 AM | Asmodeus Air Base | Berlin, Germany

The meeting with the Commanders went largely as Thaddeus had expected. They were none too happy about taking orders from a man that has never seen the battlefield. Moreover, they weren’t happy about shining a large world wide spotlight on the Illuminatus military actions in Iraq that resulted in a large number of Iraqi civilian casualties, mostly children.

He began the meeting in passive aggressive fashion, feigning anger in the faces of the military high command in order to gauge their responses. They believed what they said. They believed Thaddeus was the one to turn to.

The meeting was over and now the real work must begin. In order for this coup to be successful, Thaddeus would need more than just a handful of Commanders. He’d need the support of the foot soldiers as well. It goes without saying that the military worships the ground that Thaddeus walks on, but they’re talking about a coup. By following Thaddeus, they’re committing treason in its highest form. He needs them to understand that. He does not expect anyone to follow him blindly although they may well have done that. Thaddeus has honor within him, if this coup fails, the end result is the death of a lot of those that look up to him. Maybe even himself.

He needs them, no doubt. But he also needs them to know the grave risks they are taking. Forcing the King from the throne is one thing, but he will have his loyalists. That much is certain. How many would take the King’s side versus that of Thaddeus is a large question mark. One that, in time, would likely be answered.

Thaddeus steps upon the wooden platform. The chatter and light conversation that is scattered throughout the crowd of soldiers dies quickly upon the realization that Thaddeus Duke is ready to speak.

”I know its late,” he begins, wiping the sleep from his own eyes. ”But this is too important to let go for a more reasonable hour. Gentlemen, we are about to set forth a plan that is extremely dangerous and that’s not even really a fair way to put it. I expect that many of you will follow me just as you have in the past. However I also expect some of you to denounce me once I’ve said what I need to say.

“We are about to embark, on perhaps the gravest challenge we’ve ever attempted. We’ve waged war for more than a thousand years. We’ve gone from the shadows where no one knew of our existence, save for the Catholic Church, to being beneath the spotlight of the world. The conclusion of that war sees the Illuminatus in the seat of power once held by the Church. It is with respect for that mortal enemy that we’ve reached out and at least attempted to begin the process of a lasting peace. Peace between us is paramount to our survival. For this time, and all time.

“Now your current leader has taken us to the brink of extinction. Your current leader has shone the bright lights of the world squarely on our shoulders and not for any good reason. The actions set in motion by my father, your King, have given us a black eye. There are powers within this world that may now wish to see us destroyed. To see us eliminated for good.

“The goal here, is to act before they do. And it shall not be easy. There will come a time, when you’ll stand across the field with your brothers in arms, and you’ll stare at former brothers in arms. And I’m going to ask you to kill them. Make no mistake, I’m not happy with that prospect. I’m not excited about the potential of Illuminatus men versus Illuminatus men.

“In the early 1960’s, before any of us were born the American President, John Kennedy, while talking about the race for space and the moon said that we choose to go to the moon and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

“This indeed, is hard. This indeed, will challenge you on levels you never thought imaginable. I choose to dethrone the King of the Illuminatus and seize power for myself, because it is there. Because if I don’t, sooner or later, we’ll all be destroyed.

“You don’t know this, but a portion of the military, your brothers in arms, left us earlier today. I guess technically it was yesterday, but you get the point. Men you’ve fought beside for the last couple of years. What’s more is it was false intelligence that had our brothers destroy what turned out to be a grade school for Iraqi children.

“That alone is inconceivable.

“Tonight, the Commanders and I have put in motion a plan to dethrone the King, in the seat of Illuminatus power. I realize this may come as a great shock to you all, but I expect you to listen up. It is growing apparent and really, unavoidable, that this must come to pass. My father, your King, hides beneath that silly crown while acting on emotion, and instincts he doesn’t have, in order to force the Islamic State to their knees.

“And they laugh at us for it.

“They laugh at us because your King is too foolish to listen to his own Intelligence advise. They laugh at us, because rather than taking out twenty or thirty Islamic State operatives, we’ve taken out a few hundred innocent Iraqi school children. They laugh at us because that act alone could spell disaster for the Illuminatus should the right allies of Iraq choose to retaliate.

“You have served loyally. You have served alongside me, for me, and you have served for the King. I love you all for that.

“My father is a dictator. That means he chooses for you. I’m no dictator. I refuse to choose for you. You are all grown men that have seen hard times. You have seen bitter battles and watched some of our brothers die. You have seen the spoils of victory and you’ve tasted the bitterness of defeat.

“I ask you here and now, if you are willing to allow the brothers we lost to have been lost in vain.

“We know what our cause was during the wars. Our cause was the pursuit of truth and the desire for freedom. We found the truth and freedom we sought. We conquered the Catholic Church’s stranglehold on our true born homeland after being ostracized and persecuted for centuries.

“Today, a new truth arises. The truth is, my grandfathers life’s work is about to be obliterated by an idiot King with literally no sense of tactical intelligence. The truth you fought so valiantly for through two wars is all about to be for nothing under my fathers leadership.

“Justice is coming to your King. I will not stand by and allow everything my grandfather built, and everything thousands of our brothers died for, to be scattered to the wind like tree leaves in the autumn. Justice will be served only when he places his crown in my hands.

“Make no mistake, gentlemen. This is only the beginning. My father will regroup. He’ll band together with his men and he will fight back. I don’t know when and I don’t know how but it is going to happen.

“We’re going to war gentlemen, one way or the other.

“The question is: what side are you on?

“Let me state honestly that if you are loyal to my father, I have no hard feelings for you. I respect your loyalty to him. You will not be harmed, but you will be detained until evening. Once what needs to be done is completed, you will be freed. You will be escorted from this base and allowed to regroup with my father, wherever the hell that may be.

“I make that pledge, because we are all Illuminatus men. You will be allowed to fight for your cause because that is the true Illuminatus way. I ask that you make your decisions by 0200.”

Thaddeus vacates the platform and heads toward the barracks. Thousands of his troops applaud. Others stand in complete shock. ”I can’t believe you just said that,” James says, walking quickly beside Thaddeus.

”Said what?”

”Any of that!

“Thaddeus, those men are at peace time. They have their pads and their phones.”

”No, they don’t. The Commanders performed barracks and person searches earlier. All forms of communication were confiscated.”

”Oh.”

”Don’t say it.”

”Thank God.”

Thaddeus stops and looks at Jim, ”What did I just say?”

Fade.

...PRESENT DAY...

Illuminatus One, Thaddeus' personal jumbo jet, with the Illuminatus motorcade tucked safely within its belly, lifts off from Oakland, California and his short and sweet appearance on Colton Kato's Savage. Presumably, they're headed back to Connecticut to get back to life matters. Back to Illuminatus matters that you're not yet privy to.

Deep in the heart of the plane, above the cargo hold and below the passenger compartment, is a sparring ring where at one time, Thaddeus would spar with his father and gain wrestling knowledge and psychology. With the fractured relationship between father and son, Jim takes up the mantle of Thaddeus' sparring partner.

SLAM! Jim takes Thaddeus down to the mat with a headlock take down.

"This isn't the same!" Thaddeus shouts.

"Why not?"

"You don't know shit about wrestling," Thaddeus responds while lying on the mat, not really fighting.

"Should we invite your dad next time?" Jim asks, releasing the headlock. Jim gets back to his feet, leaving Thaddeus lying on the mat.

Quickly, Thaddeus scissors Jim's front of the ankle and back of his knee, taking him down. Thaddeus floats over and applies a headlock of his own.

"Oh you little shit!"

"Told you, you didn't know shit."

"I thought you were done!"

Jim, much larger than Thaddeus, powers out of the headlock. Thaddeus jumps to his feet and Jim is slow to get up. Jim turns...

SMACK!

THUD!

Jim groans as he lies on the mat clutching his face after the superkick to the jaw from Thaddeus. "Awwwhhhhwww I think I chipped a tooth!"

Thaddeus retreats to the corner and sits on the top turnbuckle.

"This is pointless. You can't show me anything."

Jim slowly rolls over and sits up on the mat. "I'm not your father."

"Really? Because I was confused there for a minute."

"I mean like it or not, smart ass, your father is a fucking legend in wrestling. He's faced them all. He knows all the tricks. I watch the show, but I'm not teaching you anything.

"He taught you everything you know."

"I always wondered what it would be like to face him in a match. A real match. Not just sparring in a ring. I mean thousands in a packed house. Millions watching on TV. Promo's dropping left and right from both of us.

"The bell rings and it's the teach versus the student. The legend versus the future. I mean, that's an intriguing concept.

"Who the hell would win?"

"It's pretty safe to say we'll never find out.

"Thaddeus, get your head in the game."

Thaddeus looks on, but says nothing.

"In two weeks, you have a chance to right a couple of wrongs. You have a chance to prove you can beat Doc D'Ville. We all know you could have at Wild Card Weekend. That match proved that you belong in the Xtreme Wrestling Federation.

"You lost, but you could have won it.

"On Warfare you fight harder than you expected to have to in order to beat Oswald for the Xtreme title. That in itself was a miscalculation. On top of that, after winning the title which everyone knows is defended 24/7, you allowed yourself to be distracted by Lane. By Heyman. By Doc. All the while forgetting the man you just beat existed. Allowing him to roll you up and retake the title."

Thaddeus sighs.

"Savage is over. You did what you did and there's no taking it back now. At some point, Lane will fire back.

"Remove your head from your own ass and get right. Get focused. Lethal Lottery is coming fast and that chamber, is a fucking nightmare. Three men walk into that structure and get locked inside. There is no escape.

"Each of you have a desire to win but only one of you can. If you don't get yourself focused, it sure as shit won't be you."

Jim rolls out of the ring and begins walking toward the showers.

"Why the hell do I pay you when you're so mean to me!?" Thaddeus shouts as Jim gets further away.

"You don't pay me!" Jim shouts in response.

"Then you're still overpaid!"

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