Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or Gundam UC, both are owned by Sunrise.

Forward Unto Dawn

Chapter 1

Rear Admiral Anika Hipper, commanding the First Scouting Group of the Axis Navy floated into the bridge of her flagship from the elevator and caught herself on the captain's chair. "What's our status?" she asked.

Captain Richard Anderson looked up at her from the chair. "The situation is normal ma'am." He replied. "As per our orders we're skirting the edge of the Britannian Orbital Defense Matrix."

"Bring up the tactical display and the positions of our other battlecruisers." Hipper ordered. She studied the tactical display briefly and then gave a nod. "Maintain our course and distance: we don't want to cause a diplomatic incident by getting too close to the Brits' ODM."

"Ma'am…!"

Hipper pushed herself off of the command deck with a slight motion from her legs, and catching herself against the ceiling floated in the middle of the Derfflinger's bridge. "The Britannian Orbital Defense Matrix…" she mused aloud. "…over a hundred satellites in an eccentric orbit around the Earth, meant to deter hostile ships and satellites from entering Britannian airspace. Of course its actual effectiveness is another question entirely. Petty Officer Reilly…?"

"Ma'am…?"

"What's your opinion?" Hipper asked. "On the Brit's ODM that is…?"

The young man briefly looked taken aback at the question being asked of him before swallowing and thinking it over for a moment. "I would say that their maser-based system shouldn't be that effective." He opined. "I mean…masers are just lasers which use microwaves instead of light aren't they? To even damage a ship as big as the Derfflinger would need a laser generator at least as big as the Derfflinger itself…"

Another petty officer muttered something under her breath. "Petty Officer Drew…" Hipper said. "…you disagree…?"

"Well not really…" the young woman answered. "…at least in part…well it's just that while one laser like the ones those little satellites mount couldn't possibly hurt us, there's so many of them. That has to count for something, doesn't it?"

"That's probably what the Britannians were thinking when they set up this expensive system of theirs." Hipper agreed. "Last I hear they were still having trouble with working particle beams, much less making weapons out of them. So they went for quantity instead of quality."

"Assuming they can see through our M-Fields." Captain Anderson remarked, and the admiral glanced at him with a wry smile.

"In that case we should deploy Minovsky Particles before attempting to initiate hostilities."

"As you say, ma'am…"

"No."

"Your Majesty…?"

"Lelouch is not suitable for a puppet." Mineva Lao Zabi, First Empress of the Axis Federation, said firmly. Imperial Chancellor Princess Haman Karn raised an eyebrow.

"And your reason for such a statement?" she asked, and Mineva had the decency to blush.

"It's not what you're thinking." She said quickly. "I…I took a peek into his head."

Haman's eyebrows rose in surprise. Newtypes could do that, but it was usually considered rude and unethical. Newtypes were discouraged from doing so without explicit permission, and in fact there were classes offered to Oldtypes in Axis schools to educate them in mental shielding against less-reputable Newtypes. "He gave you permission?" she asked, and Mineva nodded. "Whatever for…?"

"It's private." Mineva said. "Let's just say that a certain topic came up between Milly and I, and along comes Mister Lamperouge. One thing led to another, and I ended up looking into his head. It's purely innocent, I assure you."

"And what did you find that makes the boy useless as a puppet for us?"

"He's his father's son." Mineva said. "In fact, I daresay he's very similar in that sense to Second Prince Schneizel. Unlike Schneizel though, Lelouch is shackled – thankfully – by his bond with his sister Nunnally. In fact that's the whole reason he even decided to accompany the Ashford family – well Count Ruben Ashford and his granddaughter – here to Axis. Just as the Count wanted his granddaughter to start over without any of the obligations her parents kept forcing on her, Lelouch wants a life for his sister – and if possible himself – without any risk of her getting pulled into Britannian affairs once again. It's not like Britannia has any influence up here on the Moon after all."

"Point…" Haman agreed.

"However…" Mineva continued. "…Lelouch is also quite…hmm I wouldn't exactly say unstable, but I believe that given power and opportunity he could be quite a threat to his enemies, both real and imagined. I wouldn't begrudge him a normal life here in Axis, but using his position as the Eleventh Prince – which he has renounced by the way – is simply unwise."

"I see…" Haman said with a nod. "…I suppose that means we'll have to remove him from the list of candidates for a puppet ruler for Britannia. And the same will have to go for his younger sister."

"Naturally…"

"Speaking of which…" Haman said with a smile. "…you mentioned that Count Ashford wanted a normal life for his granddaughter free of noble obligations. And yet…"

"Count Ashford was given a courtesy title." Mineva said with a shrug. "Milly has no chance of inheriting, unless she marries one of our nobles. Seeing as most of our nobles only have courtesy titles – you having the highest rank short of yours truly – it's not really an issue for the Count. And he deserved to have that title, considering his contribution to our cause."

"I couldn't agree more." Haman agreed. "The Ganymede's schematics have been of considerable use in our research and development, allowing for the miniaturization of mobile suits and making more power available for advanced systems without any need to increase reactor size and output. Of course those same advanced systems are still experimental…"

"But we can now manufacture mobile suits faster and in greater numbers for the same amount of raw material thanks to the miniaturization." Mineva concluded. "Returning to our original topic…"

"Of course…" Haman said. "…our next candidate would be Crown Prince Odysseus eu Britannia. He is a sheltered and mediocre man by all accounts, easy enough to reduce to a puppet and amenable to war crime trials for most of his family and the Britannian nobility and officer corps. In the long-term though, he may prove a liability to the Tsiolkovsky Plan however."

"We'll have to eliminate him if that happens." Mineva said with a sad smile, playing with a lock of her hair. "Hopefully by then we'd have succeeded in relocating most of Britannia's subject peoples – the so-called Numbers – to space. Even if the Empire collapsed as a result, most if not all left in their territories would be Britannian citizenry, equally-culpable as their leaders for the Social Darwinian crimes against Humanity of the Empire but impossible to try and execute."

"Britannia's collapse will probably trigger an economic collapse that would ultimately bring China and Europe to their knees." Haman said, and then shaking her head. "Well that is the Tsiolkovsky Plan…but right now we must work on War Plan Valkyrie's aftermath."

"Quite…" Mineva agreed. "…and who is our last candidate for a puppet ruler?"

"That would be Third Princess Euphemia li Britannia." Haman said. "An idealist, she may in fact be suitable not just as a puppet ruler, but even an ally. With proper diplomacy, we may even succeed in convincing her to support the Tsiolkovsky Plan."

"We should look into it…" Mineva said in all seriousness. "…but there's a reason we've only let a few people – Char among others – in the know about the Tsiolkovsky Plan. The idea of depopulating Earth and relocating all of Humanity into space is quite radical. To free Humanity's souls from gravity's grip is a noble calling, but still quite radical for all that. Many will rise to oppose it and us, caring not the slightest bit for Humanity's manifest destiny in the stars. We cannot allow the Tsiolkovsky Plan to be compromised by those weighed down by Earth's gravity, not until we are ready and the Tsiolkovsky Plan can no longer be stopped."

"I understand." Haman said. "Then we should focus our efforts on Prince Odysseus?"

Mineva glanced at Haman and held her gaze for several seconds. An eyebrow rose. "You're testing me, aren't you?" she asked. The corners of the Imperial Chancellor's lips briefly twitched with amused approval. "Prince Odysseus will be our principal candidate, but we'll keep Princess Euphemia as our secondary."

"Very good Your Majesty."

"Just one more thing…" Mineva said suddenly as Haman turned to leave. "…there is still the matter of Princess Euphemia's sister, Second Princess Cornelia."

"Princess Cornelia…?" Haman echoed, pausing in her footsteps. "Yes, she could prove a hindrance, especially since she'd probably be included in any roster of accused for any war crime trials."

"That would certainly dent any 'cooperation' between us and Princess Euphemia. And to be honest, I find that she – Princess Cornelia – is quite admirable in her own way." Mineva said. "What do you think Haman?"

"There are ways we can make use of her." Haman said after a moment's thought. "And if we control the war crime trials, then we can hush up her involvement to an extent."

"Oh…?" Mineva echoed in her turn, glancing at Haman. "Do you intend to brainwash her then?"

"Tasteless I know…" Haman admitted. "…rest assured it will be the last resort. We will attempt other means at first."

"I see…" Mineva said with a nod. "…I'll leave it to you then."

Haman bowed and left, leaving the First Empress alone in her sitting room. A few minutes later and the seventeen year-old girl rose and walked over to window, which looked out over the expansive grounds of the Golden Fountain Palace and thence to the city of Neue Preussen. "Father…" she thought. "…mother…I am doing the right thing aren't I? I'm about to start another war, just as you did, to fulfill the ideals of Zeon Deikun. I'll be leading our people to battle and death."

Mineva looked up at the artificial sky and sighed before walking away from the window. "But it's not like we have much of a choice…" she whispered to herself. "…Earth is Humanity's cradle, but Humanity cannot stay in its cradle forever, or it will be doomed to decay and stagnation. And if the other leaders of Humanity cannot see this truth staring at them in the face, then they must be dealt with."

Vice Admiral Count Char Aznable, the Red Comet of Zeon, Commander of the Axis Fourth Fleet, sat behind his desk in his stateroom aboard his flagship the Barbarossa. He was viewing the operational plan assigned to him and his fleet under War Plan Valkyrie. The door chime sounded. "Enter…" he said, and the door hissed open to reveal a redheaded young woman with a captain's rank insignia.

"Captain Elpeo Ple, reporting." The woman said with a salute.

"At ease captain..." Char said, putting the operational plan down as Ple entered the room, the door hissing shut behind her. "…how may I accommodate you, captain?"

"Sir…" Ple said while stepping forward and holding out several file folders. "…the daily status reports for the fleet."

"Ah I see…" Char said while taking the files with a veiled grimace. He didn't really mind becoming a flag officer and a Count, but the paperwork that went with the former more than outweighed any of the benefits.

And of course Haman constantly having her eye on me is more than a bit troublesome. Thankfully though, her duties as Imperial Chancellor have finally beaten that infatuation of hers out of her.

"Captain…" Char began after making a cursory glance through the reports.

"Sir…?"

"What do you know of Pearl Harbor?"

Ple blinked at the question. "Pearl Harbor is a harbor located in the Hawaiian Islands of the North Pacific Ocean." She began. "It serves as the principal naval base for the Britannian Pacific Fleet and…"

"Ah my apologies…" Char interrupted with an apologetic tone and a raised hand. "…I meant the Pearl Harbor of our original universe."

Ple blinked again. "Day of infamy…?" she asked, and Char nodded. "On December 7 1941 the First Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet launched a surprise attack against the US Pacific Fleet as the first part of their plan to quickly knock out the US Navy from the Pacific. The Japanese succeeded in achieving surprise, but the attack was not nearly as successful as it could have been."

"Please elaborate."

Ple nodded before continuing. "The Japanese succeeded in sinking the US battleships, but failed so sink a single carrier, which were all out at sea." She said. "They succeeded in sinking most of the US cruisers along with about half their destroyers, but strategically-speaking they're not nearly as important as either the battleships or the carriers. They also failed to destroy the naval facilities: the Naval Yard, the Military HQ, the Submarine Base, and the Fuel Depot. All told the Japanese managed to obtain six months of tactical and strategic superiority, which they could have extended if they had destroyed the naval facilities."

"Could the Japanese have won the war?" Char pressed.

"It's very heatedly-debated…" Ple said delicately after a moment. "…but the official historical consensus is no. The surprise attack triggered a heated desire for vengeance in the US population and given their superior population size and industry – some estimate it about five times to that of Japan's – there was no way with which Japan could have defeated or even forced the Americans to negotiate."

"That is the historical consensus." Char agreed with several nods. "But what is your opinion, captain?"

"Sir…I…"

"Please feel to speak freely captain."

"I believe it's very improbable, nearly impossible, but it may have been possible for a negotiated peace."

"Please explain."

"It would require perfect coordination between Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire." Ple said reluctantly. "It would also require…ahem, intelligent leadership on the part of either side. And while certain commanders such as Fleet Admiral Yamamoto or Field Marshall Manstein were intelligent…the same cannot be said of their leaders."

"How would they win?"

"They cannot defeat America." Ple said firmly. "But if they could bog the US Navy down in the Pacific and knock the Russians out and force the British to agree to an armistice, there exists a small possibility that the US can be forced to the negotiating table, especially if the Nazis can get working nuclear weapons, and the Japanese had working biological weapons. However…"

Ple trailed off, looking physically-ill. "The idea of either Imperial Japan or Nazi Germany winning WWII – even a negotiated peace – would even be worse than Gihren Zabi leading the old Principality to victory." She said weakly.

"Despite the strategic use of G3 Nerve Gas, Operation British, and the use of nuclear weapons at Loum…" Char said grimly. "…ultimately those were aimed at breaking the Federation's military and will to fight, and were never done out of genocidal designs much like the Japanese intended for the Chinese and the Nazis for the Slavs and the Jews."

The Tsiolkovsky Plan is ultimately an updated version of Gihren Zabi's postwar plan.

"What do you think captain?" Char asked. "Can we defeat Britannia? Or are we walking down the same path as the Japanese and the Nazis?"

"The industrial and population disparity between us and Britannia is not nearly as bad as the disparity between, ahem, the Axis and the Allies back in the Second World War of our original universe." Ple said. "Furthermore even if the Britannian population is twice that of ours, most of those are the so-called Numbers who have no real loyalty to Britannia. If we can decisively defeat Britannia on the field, there's a good chance they could be won over to our side."

"A very big chance I would say." Char said, and Ple nodded.

"I agree sir." She said. "Also, the Britannian military is overstretched. Their forces are currently fighting their way east across Eurasia, holding down the Middle East and the West Pacific, in what is essentially a three-front war. Only idiots fight a war on two fronts, while only madmen fight wars on three fronts."

"Emperor Charles zi Britannia is a Social Darwinist." Char remarked dryly. "Hardly the sanest political ideology, wouldn't you say?"

"No sir, I wouldn't say so." Ple said with a smile.

"And we'll be opening up a fourth front, no we'll open up fourth and fifth fronts aimed at trapping and destroying all their overseas forces."

Ple looked away briefly. "Sir…?"

"What's on your mind captain?"

"What if the Britannian Emperor is intelligent enough to negotiate for peace after we destroy their overseas forces?" Ple asked. "War Plan Valkyrie doesn't mention anything in that regard."

Char though on it for a few moments, and then gave a nod. "I believe then we switch to War Plan Loki." He said. "But that would be a gamble, since it means taking on the heavy defenses of the American supercontinent. And while the Britannian Redcoat III isn't a match for our Crusaders in space, in-atmosphere it's going to be very different."

"Won't taking Pendragon and the Britannian Imperial Family prisoners quickly end the war in that case?"

"Pendragon has a comprehensive defense system built up around it." Char said. "Attacking it would be a bloodbath, and that's if we launch an attack from both Earth and space. An attack from space alone would either be wiped out by the defenses or quickly surrounded and either be overwhelmed by Britannian Home Forces or starved to surrender. Also…"

"Sir…?"

"This doesn't leave the room captain."

"Yes sir, I understand."

"Jaburo…"

Ple's eyes went wide, and barely controlling herself looked around nervously before leaning in. "Admiral…" she began. "…the Britannians, they've rebuilt Jaburo…?"

"Imperial Intelligence hasn't been able to identify its location…" Char said softly. "…but yes, apparently the Britannians have their own version. Britannian Supreme Headquarters: Albion. Prince Schneizel's prized creation, along with his MS research and development program 'Camelot'. It's apparently meant to go online should Pendragon ever be exposed to an enemy."

"Us…"

Char nodded. "Yes…" he said. "…us. And if it's like Jaburo, that's probably where they're building their fleet and additional launch facilities in addition to their unmanned launch facilities in Houston."

"Her Majesty would never consider the possibility of a colony drop." Ple said with her face pale. She shook her head. "If we were forced to attack Jab I mean Albion, it's going to be bloody."

"Which is why we must hope that Emperor Charles isn't stupid and arrogant enough not to go for a negotiated peace once we destroy his overseas forces…" Char said. "…because if we don't…"

"The One Year War…it's going to start all over again."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Char said. "This is all in the strictest confidence captain, much like the Tsiolkovsky Plan. Don't make me regret trusting you."

Ple snapped to attention. "You won't sir." She said while throwing a salute, and Char nodded. The young woman turned, her mantle flapping as left his stateroom.

A pair of hands clapped themselves over a certain dark-haired boy's eyes, and he froze in surprise. "Guess who?" a feminine and playful voice asked.

"I know it's you Milly." Lelouch Lamperouge – or depending on who asked Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia – said, and with a sound of disappointment Millicent 'Milly' Ashford removed her hands and walked around the bench before taking a seat beside Lelouch.

"Oh you're no fun." She said after giving him a kiss on a cheek. "Remind me why I'm dating you again."

"Because you scared away every other boy our age we know of after that little…accident with the bumblebees…?"

"For the record I didn't know Gramont was allergic to bees." Milly said in affront. "And it was an accident. Mineva agreed too."

"Yeah, and Mineva is – whenever she has time to see us – more often than not your accomplice."

"Brother…" Nunnally Lamperouge – Fourth Princess Nunnally vi Britannia – said reprovingly from across the table. "…you shouldn't fight with Milly. She's your girlfriend isn't she?"

Lelouch made a series of strangling noises all the while jerking around like a robot. It was simply put funny, and Milly had to work hard to avoid breaking out laughing. It was as Mineva said: Lelouch had for some reason a tendency to overdramatize his reactions. Fortunately however for the exiled prince a news feature on the internet browser of his laptop chose that moment to show a live emergency update.

"Something on the news…?" Milly asked.

"Yeah…" Lelouch said. "…more news about the war in Eurasia."

Lelouch tapped on his laptop a few times, increasing the volume and full-paging the video. "…according to official Britannian reports, Kiev was supposedly pacified a week ago, but as can be seen behind me heavy fighting continues between EU forces trapped in the city with Britannian Occupation Forces…"

"Brother…" Nunnally spoke up. "…we won't be getting involved aren't we?"

"Axis…?" Lelouch said softly. "I certainly hope not, but…"

Lelouch trailed off and he shared a worried look with Milly. It was Nunnally who broke the silence. "Miss Mineva and Miss Haman might have to intervene, won't they?" she asked sadly.

"Mineva…she's never refrained from expressing discontent about the Emperor's policies." Lelouch said slowly. "Haman on the other hand…well I'm not sure what to think about her. She's always struck me as the pragmatic kind, who'd probably do no worse than the Emperor if she had to…but even she finds what's happening in Europe and the Areas repulsive."

"We used to be Britannians too." Milly said sadly. "And until what happened after…well…"

"Mother…" Lelouch said while clenching his fists, and Nunnally lowered her face sadly. Milly nodded.

"Yes…Empress Marianne's death…" Milly continued uncertainly. "…we never actually saw the Empire's true face. And even then that was only an edge of the Empire…what's happening in Europe right now…I've never been so ashamed of our birth country. Or that my parents back on Earth would ever want to return to the high circles of Britannian society."

The three exiled Britannians sat silently, waiting for the live report to finish. And finish it did, with a stray Britannian missile exploding nearby. The last shot of the camera was a skewed image of the debris-covered ground and a dead reporter covered in blood before cutting to black. Milly looked away, and Lelouch placed an arm around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"It's alright…" he said grimly. "…it's alright…"

"Lelouch…" she whispered. "…Andrea's father works at the Ministry of the Navy. She says that only one fleet is left at Kiel and Neue Wilhelmshaven. Whatever Mineva and Haman are planning, it's already begun."

"Not quite…" another girl's voice said, and the surprised couple jolted apart and looked behind them to spot a blonde girl slightly younger than them approaching, dressed in a white, collared and long-sleeved blouse over a shin-length black skirt. A black vest and a red neck tie rounded Mineva Lao Zabi's casual appearance out, with no indication of her exalted rank visible on her attire.

"…people talk too much…" Mineva complained. "…but I suppose that's the price that comes with democracy, even with a limited one. But you know, just because most of our fleets are out, it doesn't mean they've gone to war. They could be out for training exercises for instance."

"Is that your official statement?" Lelouch asked, and Mineva smiled while taking a seat beside Nunnally.

"Maybe…" she replied, and Lelouch rolled his eyes while Milly giggled at the sight, and finally breaking the tension…to an extent. "Hello Nunnally."

"Hello Ms. Mineva. How are you today?"

"Tired…" Mineva said with a sigh. "…if studying to the top of the class back then was hard, fulfilling the duties of the Empress is even harder."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be it's not your fault. And I rarely get to see you guys anymore, so I don't really mind going out."

Nunnally smiled, and noticing her hand patting around slowly Mineva took Nunnaly's hand and squeezed it gently. Milly coughed. "Well now that you're here…" she said while eyeing the plain clothes Court Guards discreetly in position around them. "…shall we get going?"

"Still planning on using my Court Guards as baggage mules…?" Mineva asked dryly, and Lelouch snorted.

"Better them than me…" he muttered, and Milly rolled her eyes in her turn before blinking and smiling like a cat.

"You could use some exercise Lulu…" she said teasingly. "…it'll build up your stamina, which means you'll last even longer in bed…"

"Hey…!" Lelouch protested as his face turned red.

"Do you mind?" Mineva said irritably and with a slight blush, covering Nunnally's ears just in time.

Thank God for Newtype precognition.

"I do not need to hear about your…private adventures."

"Oh come on…you know Lulu makes really cute sounds when I…"

"MILLY…!"

A/N

No points for guessing where War Plan Valkyrie's first blow will fall.