Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass

Unbeta'd until Dragon gets freed up and has time.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

Sun Tzu

Still reeling a bit from his conversation with Milly, that kiss had been a bit shocking, Lelouch headed to bed only stopping long enough to answer Viletta's call after noticing he'd missed about a dozen of them. Right, orders have to be literal with her, he thought after instructing her to resume her normal duties until further contact from him. I suppose like anything else this power has a learning curve, I'll have to be more careful in the future. It took him awhile to fall asleep as plan after plan bounced around his mind.

In the morning after his usual breakfast with Nunnally, Lelouch spent a good deal of time experimenting on his classmates and teachers with his geass. With a full appreciation of the power he could wield, he was careful to limit his orders to simple commands with end conditions. It simply wouldn't do to accidentally enslave yet another person. By afternoon he'd determined that there were few limits on his geass but the ones that existed were troubling. So, I can't use this on someone twice and it requires direct eye-contact. It seems that tinted glass will also stop my geass. I wonder what would happen if I used a mirror? He shuddered a bit at the thought, ordering yourself to do something was disturbing.

Headed into his afternoon class while half listening to Rivalz yammer on about something he froze when he saw an addition to the usual class. When Rivalz bumped into him, he muttered and apology and moved across the room trying to listen inconspicuously to the girls gathered around a sickly looking redhead.

"Kallen, it's been ages," one of the girls squealed excitedly.

"Are you ok," her friend asked right on top of the first girl.

"Sophie's been worried about you," the third girl added.

The redhead, Kallen apparently, responded in a weak tone. "Yes, but I can't strain myself. If I take too much time off, I'll never be able to catch up with everyone else."

His heart pounding Lelouch took his seat as he watched her from the corner of his eyes. There was no doubt, she might be acting weak now, but this was Q-1!

Rivalz leaned over and followed Lelouch's gaze. "Whatcha looking at? Ahh, I see, does Lelouch have a crush?"

Lelouch brushed it off. "No, I was just thinking this is rare, she hasn't been here much this term."

"I see," Rivalz responded ignoring the death-glare Shirley was shooting him. "Kallen Stadfeld, I hear she isn't well, barely comes to school but somehow manages to keep her grades up."

"I see," Lelouch mumbled. A sick, absent Brittanian student was a hell of a cover for a resistance member. Seems she was laying low after the events of yesterday. It made a great deal of sense but he wondered what her motivation was. Why would a Brittanian school girl even join a resistance group. He had motivation, so did Milly, what was Kallen's.

Rivalz continued unaware Lelouch was barely paying attention to him. "She's the Stadfeld heir so she has money and she's always very quiet here at school. You have very high standards Lelouch."

Lelouch grunted in irritation, "it's not like that. I was wondering about if she'd already joined a club."

Rivalz turned his head with a quizzical look. "Huh?"

Lelouch sighed and massaged his temple. "You know the school requires club membership and as absent as she is, there aren't many she qualifies for. I was wondering if we could use her on the student council."

"I suppose we could," Rivalz responded after a moment. "Why do you care though?"

"I don't really," Lelouch replied bluntly. "If she joins then Milly will have another target for her antics and we might avoid having to cross-dress or wear bizarre costumes again."

Rivalz shuddered at memory of the previous year's cross-dress ball. "I think you've hit on a splendid idea. Should I ask Milly after class break?"

"No, I'll just invite her to the student council building after school and unleash Milly on her."

"Wow, you really don't play fair do you," Rivalz said with a grin.

Lelouch frowned. "I consider anything that allows me to avoid wearing a dress ever again to be fair."

Rivalz slid his chair back to his desk as class began. "Agreed."

Kallen was having a very bad day. Oghi had ordered her to go to school, apparently it was safe enough for him in the ghetto but not for her, oh no. Then she had to deal with the stupid socialite girls all fluttering around her with their inane chatter. She couldn't even tell them off because she was of course a weak, sheltered little Brittanian noble girl. It made for a great cover but she hated acting like an invalid and pretending to be meek.

To make things worse, the class 'prince' had been watching her all afternoon. She'd never caught him when she'd looked but she could feel his gaze and it worried her. She was use to guys looking at her, pretending to be weak hadn't changed her body to be any less attractive and she was of course, the heir of a noble family. It would be far more strange if they didn't look but something about this Lelouch's gaze was different.

She almost had a panic attack she barely controlled when the teacher called for him to read aloud in class. That voice, she thought in disbelief. It made no sense but he had the same voice that the mysterious Zero did. After he sat down she kept shooting quick glances at him even going so far as to watch him in the small mirror from her compact. It had to be a coincidence but what if it wasn't. She needed some way to confirm things.

At the end of classes for the day, Lelouch quickly packed up and told Rivalz to gather the other council members in the clubhouse. Walking over to Kallen and ignoring the girls hovering over her, he plastered a fake grin on his face. "Excuse me Miss Stadfeld, could you come with me, I'd like to talk with you about clubs."

Kallen narrowed her eyes and stood. "Yes, I was expecting a student council member to discuss this with me." Collecting her things, she forced a mild smile on her face. "Shall we?"

Ignoring the gossiping girls, Lelouch lead Kallen to the student council building. "I'm sorry," he said as they walked. "From what I overheard as we left, apparently we're secretly engaged. You can probably expect the rest of the campus to believe that by tomorrow."

Kallen tensed, then made herself relax. "Oh, it's just a silly rumor, I'm sure no one would believe that," she said mildly.

Lelouch sighed and held the door to the student council building open for her. "I wish that was true."

Stepping into the building Kallen looked around with unfeigned awe. "Wow, this is very nice. I had no idea there was a building like this on campus."

Lelouch continued to play tour guide as the entered the main hall. "Yes, it's the student council building now but it was originally built as a small reception hall for balls and formal dances and such."

"I see," Kallen said. "So we're all alone here then?" She gripped her concealed knife pouch tightly waiting for his answer.

"Not exactly, the other student council members should be shortly. It's come to our attention that you have never formally joined a club here at school and the rules require that you do so."

Kallen's eyes widened in surprise and she relaxed the grip on the knife. "I'm sorry, what?"

Before Lelouch could reply a loud voice sounded through the room. "Ah, there you are," Milly cried triumphantly as she pushed a tray loaded with food into the room. "I believe welcoming a new member deserves a party." Cheerfully oblivious she began sliding trays onto one of the tables as the rest of the student council filed down to greet their new member.

"Sorry," Lelouch muttered to a dumbstruck Kallen, I thought we'd have a bit more time but the President is, well she's more or less a law unto herself." Watching her setting the table he snorted. "Perhaps more like walking natural disaster or force of nature really."

"Student council?" Kallen asked in confusion.

Motioning her to follow him over to the table, Lelouch continued to explain. "As I said, school rules require you join a club and we felt given your illness that it would be best if you join us. An absence here wouldn't affect us like it would a normal club."

Sliding into the seat he had pulled out for her, her mind overwhelmed. She'd thought he was the voice from Shinjuku, the man calling himself Zero. But it seemed he was just doing his job as a member of the student council. It was foolish to think that the man responsible for the victory in Shinjuku would be here at Ashford. Currently she was feeling somewhat like an idiot.

The rest of the council sat and introduced themselves to Kallen. "Hey, I'm Rivalz, the secretary. If you need anything, just ask me.

The next was a friendly girl with long orange-brown hair. "I'm Shirley and I'm also in the swim club, it's very nice to meet you.

Finally a very shy girl with brown hair and glasses spoke. "I'm Nina."

As the introductions ended a girl in a wheelchair entered the room carrying a tray on her lap. "Um, excuse me Shirley, could you set these on the table please," she said softly.

Motioning Shirley to stay seated Lelouch got up and went to get the tray from his sister. "Hello Nunnally," he said with a warm smile. "How was your day?"

"It was good big brother," she replied with a matching smile.

Milly leaned towards Kallen and whispered. "That's Nunnally, Lelouch's little sister. She's very nice but be careful how you treat her. Lelouch is very protective of her, the last boy who picked on her and made her cry was run over by a car the next day."

Kallen blinked, and she'd thought her brother was overprotective. Of course I'm also not blind and in a wheelchair, she thought as she watched Lelouch chat cheerfully with his sister as he pushed her up to the table next to Kallen. He's certainly different from class when he talks to his sister.

Nunnally held up her hand for Kallen to shake. "Hello, I'm Nunnally, I'm in middle school so I'm not actually part of the student council."

Rivalz spoke up from across the table. "That's ok, you're an associate member," he said with a great deal of warmth in his voice.

Kallen glanced around and noticed that everyone present all seemed to dote on Nunnally and while not ready to do so herself, agreed that Nunnally seemed like a very pleasant girl. "It's a pleasure to meet you Nunnally," she said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," Nunnally said with a smile.

What followed was a very pleasant meal with a great deal of laughter and good cheer at the table. Even Kallen loosened her act a bit and made several jokes that the other members enjoyed. I still hate Brittanians, she thought, but this is far more enjoyable than I was expecting. Perhaps this part of my cover won't be so annoying.

As the meal drew to a conclusion, Rivalz pulled out a bottle of champagne. "Now that we've eaten, we should drink a toast!"

Lelouch groaned and covered his face as Rivalz tried to get the cork out of the bottle while also fending off Shirley's attempts to take the bottle away. When Rivalz managed to get the cork free, Lelouch was the only one that saw Kallen bat the cork headed at her face away with her hand before contents of the bottle emptied on her head. Well, that confirms it, he thought as he watched everyone stare at Kallen. That is definitely Q-1.

Standing Lelouch moved over by Kallen. "If you'll clean up here, I'll show Kallen where she can shower and I'll have Sayoko fine her a change of clothes." Getting agreements, Lelouch sighed and turned to Kallen. "Follow me please."

Traveling upstairs after Lelouch, Kallen glanced in one of the rooms they passed and saw a chessboard set up in what appeared to be mid-game. A sudden burst of insight caused her to hurriedly cover her mouth before Lelouch heard her gasp. It occurred to her that in Shinjuku, Zero had named the units of her resistance group after chess pieces. Staring at Lelouch's back, her earlier suspicions of his voice flooded back to her. She was now fairly sure he was the mysterious Zero but the hows and whys escaped her. She knew why she fought the empire, but why would someone like Lelouch? At some point, she was going to force some answers from him.

Leaving Kallen to shower, Lelouch stopped by his room to pick up a few things while Sayoko gathered some clothes for Kallen. Stopping the maid with a hand on her shoulder, Lelouch spoke to her quietly. "I'm aware of why the Ashford family hired you and why they transferred your service to us." Ignoring the mild surprise he saw in her eyes, he continued to speak in a low voice. "I need to speak to Kallen privately but she is far more dangerous than she appears. For today I want you to guard Nunnally until she leaves. If something happens to me, get my sister clear. I've stashed a cellphone in her emergency bags that has account information if it's required. Do you have any questions?"

Sayoko regarded her employer carefully. "Are you sure you wish for me to guard Miss Nunnally? I could stand guard over you if Miss Kallen is a threat."

Lelouch gave her a tight grin but was far from upset with Sayoko's question. "For today, no I do not. Tomorrow after my sister retires, I believe we should speak on important matters."

Sayoko dipped her head in acknowledgment of her orders. "Yes Your Highness," she said almost inaudibly.

Lelouch laughed as he headed for the bathroom to drop off the clothes for Kallen. "So you know," he said. "Yes, we should definitely talk tomorrow."

Reaching the bathroom, Lelouch knocked on the door and announced himself. "It's Lelouch, I have a change of clothes for you." Kallen called back that the curtain was closed and that it was alright to enter. Stepping in, Lelouch paused a moment when he saw Kallen's form silhouetted against the curtain. The sight caused his heart to beat a bit faster, he was stoic not gay and Kallen had a very impressive form. "Sorry about this," he called over the sound of the shower. "Sometimes they get a bit lively and I usually get stuck cleaning up the mess."

Standing under the water Kallen called back. "It's not to bad, It's good to have fun sometimes. You brought those clothes fast, did you go all the way to the dorms?"

Lelouch placed the clothes in a basket. "No, it would be very difficult for my sister to live in the dorms so the academy chairman lets us stay here as a favor. Our families were old friends apparently."

Turning to leave he stopped when Kallen called out to him while sticking her hand around the curtain and pointing. "Hey, before you go, can you hand me that pouch?"

"Sure," Lelouch replied moving over to pick it up. Rolling his eyes since she couldn't see him, he wondered where she'd gotten her hands on an assassins pouch even if this one seemed to be some sort of cheap knockoff. Passing it over he wasn't surprised when she grabbed his arm and he pulled the pistol from the small of his back and pulled the hammer back with his thumb. "Gun trumps knife Miss Stadfeld."

Kallen froze when she heard the sound, this certainly wasn't what she'd been hoping for. Still, it added a great deal to her theory that Lelouch was Zero. "It seems odd for a schoolboy to have a pistol," she said trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yes," Lelouch agreed with a trace of humor in his voice. "Almost as odd as a schoolgirl with an assassins pouch right Q-1?"

Eyes widening at the sudden confirmation she let go of his arm and jerked the curtain aside. "So it was you yesterday!"

Still holding the pistol on her, Lelouch fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, it was me and I was going to discuss it with you after your shower but someone had to jump the gun." Pausing as she continued to just stand there and stare at him, Lelouch gestured with the pistol. "You do realize I can see you right?"

Kallen flushed a red that almost matched her hair and jerked the curtain closed. "Go away," she croaked mortified.

"I think not," Lelouch replied. "You did just pull a knife on me, I think I'll just stay here like this until I no longer fear for my life."

"Please go away," Kallen moaned from behind the curtain. "You said you wanted to talk after my shower. Let me finish up and we can have that conversation."

Lelouch sighed. "Fine, I'll step outside but I if I see that knife again I will shoot you."

"Alright, alright, I get it, now GET OUT!"

Standing outside the door Lelouch massaged his neck with the hand not holding the pistol on the door. Can't believe she pulled the knife on me, he mentally complained. To be fair though, as a rebel she should be careful and I did manage to scare the life out of her. Straightening as the door opened, he noted that Kallen looked a bit worn down but in a different way than her earlier meek act at school. Gesturing with the pistol for her to move down the hall in front of him he guided her to the hidden elevator to the underground. "I'm going to show you something as a sign of good faith, " he told her as they descended. "Then I'm going to ask you some questions, if I don't like the answers, well you won't remember any of this. Understand?"

Kallen nodded but she was puzzled by his statement that she wouldn't remember anything. If he didn't like her answers, was he going to drug her? That didn't seem like something a high school student could do but most students also don't assassinate princes or command soldiers to victory. Reaching the bottom and exiting the elevator still at gunpoint she froze and gasped in surprise at the sight of the Sutherland from yesterday parked in what looked like a maintenance bay. Looking around further, she couldn't believe her eyes when she was several knightmare parts as well as several incomplete frames. "What the hell is this?"

Lelouch pointed her to a nearby table covered in maps and papers and motioned for her to take a seat. "Welcome Q-1 to the lair of Zero," he said dramaticly before chuckling. "This is the Ashford Knightmare Research Center. The Ashford family originally built this section of the school as a Knightmare research and development facility. After their 'fall from grace' they closed it down and Milly grabbed the building above us for the student council."

Kallen narrowed her eyes, "does she know about all of this?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes, she is the one that showed it to me. Now I believe it's time for you to answer some questions."

Kallen snarled at him. "I won't betray my comrades, I'd die first."

"Your resolve is impressive but misplaced Miss Stadfeld. My questions are about you. My first is, why are you, a Brittanian noble a member of the Japanese resistance?"

Kallen crossed her arms across her chest and glared at Lelouch. "One could ask the same of you."

Lelouch tipped his head to acknowledge the hit. "Indeed but I will trade you, answer my questions and I will answer yours."

Kallen huffed out a breath, "Fine, I'm Japanese. Well, I'm half Brittanian but I hate that. My brother ran Oghi's resistance group but he got caught and Clovis's men butchered him. That's why I fight."

Lelouch tilted his head as he gazed at her then lowered his pistol to the table and left it there within easy reach. "A further show of goodwill you could say, I had worried that you were possibly an O.S.I agent. Now, what do you fight for?"

Kallen regarded him curiously. "To liberate Japan of course, what else."

Lelouch palmed his face and groaned. She was right, it was the obvious answer but it lacked so very much depth. Standing up he left the pistol and motioned for him to follow him. Reaching the elevator, he punched in the surface code and considered how much to reveal. "I assume you wish to know why I fight?" Receiving a nod, he gathered his thoughts and exited the elevator Kallen trailing behind him. "Seven almost eight years ago my mother was murdered. The attack left my sister crippled and blind a condition that remains to this day. There is nothing physically wrong with her eyes, the doctors say the trauma of the attack, being trapped under my mother was to much and so she refuses to see. Anyway, I appeared before my father to demand justice and for my impudence my sister and I were exiled to Japan as diplomatic hostages."

Reaching the balcony overlooking the lower floor were the rest of the council was gather, Lelouch allowed Kallen time to gather her thoughts. "Diplomatic hostages? Wait, Lelouch, Nunnally? But that makes you?"

"Yes," Lelouch said coldly, "Lelouch Vi Brittania, Eleventh Prince and the man who will smash the Empire. That is who I am. You ask why I would fight the empire, look down at my sister. The Emperor believes the strong devour the weak, that the weak are useless. In his world, what place would there be for a gentle soul like hers?

Kallen had hundreds of questions rattling around in her head but stayed focused on what Lelouch was saying and how he was saying it. There was no way to fake the kind of anger she was seeing as he spoke and she felt herself being somewhat mesmerized by his words.

"During the invasion, I had to carry Nunnally on my back across a war-zone to find sanctuary here with old friends of the family. I vowed that someday I would destroy Brittania and make a peaceful world for her, that is why I fight." Turning back to Kallen, Lelouch tried to relax and shake the anger from his voice. "I intend to build an army Kallen, one that can liberate Japan then destroy Brittania."

"So you intend to use us a game pieces then?" Kallen demanded hotly.

"No, I do not," Lelouch retorted. "Even if I did, if it got you what you want, would you care?"

"What?"

"I intend for Japan to be liberated as the first major goal towards taking the empire down, I have a plan, the resources but not the manpower. Tell me, before yesterday, how close were you to liberating Japan?"

Kallen shook her head. "Not very?"

Lelouch snorted. "Before yesterday all you'd ever done to fight accomplished nothing. Brittania can't be defeated by a handful of resistance fighters taking shots from time to time. Only organized war can remove them, it will be long and bloody but it can be done. Is that what you want?"

"More than anything," Kallen replied honestly.

Pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket along with a pen Lelouch quickly scribbled out a set of coördinates and handed it to Kallen. "If it is truly what you want, have your group at these coördinates tomorrow at 2200 along with the Knightmares and other equipment."

Kallen looked over the numbers. "Where is this?"

"That is the underground entrance to the facility I showed you tonight. I intend to use it as the base for our new army. I feel I should tell you now that I will be hiding my identity and I do not want you revealing it. I doubt very many would fight for a high school student so I will hide my face."

Kallen protested that, "but after yesterday they'd have to listen right?"

Lelouch gazed at her sadly. "Tell me Kallen, your group, it sees you as their best pilot and they respect you but does anyone ever actually listen to you?"

Kallen frowned. "No, not really. Oghi does sometimes but mostly he just tells me that something is for my own good or that he promised my brother to keep me safe."

"Exactly."

Kallen hung her head in defeat. "Will you at least tell Oghi?"

Lelouch stared at her. "I suppose I could," he said grudgingly. "For now, we need to rejoin the party, we've been away for awhile." Leading her down the stairs he raised his voice. "So, as you can see the duties for the student council are fairly limited, mostly just catering to our esteemed presidents whims."

Kallen caught on quickly. "Oh, you mean like the school festival?"

Lelouch shrugged. "That and things like the cross-dressing festival, the absolute silence party, and going to class in your swimsuit day."

Kallen's eyes widened and she gawked at Lelouch. "What are those?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes and snorted. "As I said, we mostly just cater to the presidents whims. She'll drag you into something strange before you know it so be ready."

Kallen sighed in defeat and sat down to socialize with the other council members while she waited for her clothes to dry. As soon as they were done she said her goodbyes and left as fast as she could. Pulling out her cellphone as she reached the school gates she dialed Oghi's number from memory. "Oghi? Yeah, I know I'm suppose to be lying low but I've got big news. WHAT? No, I am not pregnant, where the hell did you get that idea? Stop whimpering, I wasn't that loud. Would you shut up, I found the voice. Ok, fine it's more he found me, happy? No, I don't think he's a threat to us. Look, I don't want to talk about this on the phone, send someone to pick me up. Oghi, this is more important than me lying low. Oh really, then I suppose you're not interested in funding and manufacturing capabilities? Yes I'm serious, just send someone. Alright, Tamaki in half an hour. Bye." Hanging up she massaged her temples to ease the sudden headache. That conversation had driven home Lelouch's point about hiding his identity to be taken seriously.

Reaching her father's house, she hardly considered it her home, she sat on the steps waiting for Tamaki to show up. Now all she had to do was somehow figure out a way to convince Oghi to move all their equipment and follow a man she wasn't sure she should be supporting at all. Lelouch was a Brittanian prince for fucks sake, but that fire in his eyes, his sheer rage at the empire was very convincing. It didn't hurt that she'd heard him shoot the Viceroy even if it hadn't made the news yet. She sighed in irritation. At least she'd gotten him to agree to reveal himself to Ohgi, that was something, after that it was out of her hands. Waving to Tamaki as he arrived on a motorcycle she couldn't help thinking that Oghi was probably massively outmatched.

After tucking Nunnally in and reading her a bedtime story, something usually reserved for kids but a special tradition for his sister, Lelouch retreated to the underground facility. Trying to take his mind off what he would do if Oghi and his group didn't show tomorrow Lelouch threw himself into reviewing financial data and the possibility of discretely buying more manufacturing capacity. The Ashford facility was nice but maxed out it could produce perhaps five knightmares a week tops. It was certainly better than nothing but he didn't have the data he needed to produce anything. It wasn't like he was a mechanical engineer, he wasn't going to just fiddle with the computers down here and produce a practical machine.

Slumping back in his chair with a groan of frustration, an idea struck him suddenly. He'd forgotten he had an agent in the Brittanian military, a knightmare pilot no less. Certainly she could get access to the data he needed? Pulling out his phone, he dialed Viletta. "Hello Viletta, do you have anything to report?"

His eyes narrowed in anger and disgust as she explained her superior's plan to frame Suzaku Kururugi for the death of Viceroy Clovis. When she reached the part where Suzaku was to be paraded to his trial, Lelouch's mind began planning out a rescue operation. Something showy and dramatic, something to give the Japanese people hope. Viletta's information gave him almost four days to prepare. It was unfortunate that some of that time would be wasted on school but still plenty of time. "You've done well," he told Viletta. "But I have a new task for you. You are to continue your normal duties and remain undetected but I need knightmare production and maintenance data, will you be able to acquire it for me within those constraints?" There was a short pause on the other end of the line Lelouch took to be Viletta considering her options. He couldn't help a victorious grin when she told him that she could do as he directed. "Good, very good. When you have the information I need, you are to call this number as soon as you can without raising suspicion."

Noting the time, Lelouch began wrapping things up, today had been rather hectic, he couldn't imagine tomorrow would be any less so. Standing in the elevator back to the student council building he wondered why he hadn't just used his geass on Kallen. The image of Viletta just standing there vacantly in the warehouse waiting for orders popped into his head. I suppose that affected me more than I thought, he mused tiredly. I suppose I want people to follow me because they believe it is right not because they have to. Besides, it would be foolish to use this power as a crutch, it is simply a tool.

Reaching his room, he found Sayoko standing outside waiting on him. "Turning in for the night Master Lelouch," she inquired.

Lelouch nodded tiredly. "Yes, it's been a long day and tomorrow will be interesting as well. After Nunnally retires tomorrow, meet me in the study, we'll have our talk then."

Sayoko bowed and turned to leave. "As you wish Master Lelouch, good night."

"Good Night Sayoko."

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.

Sun Tzu

An

And cut. Not much action, very much just setting the stage. At this point we're still fairly close to canon, some big changes, Kallen knows who he is, the Ashford facilities, Viletta etc. At this point, Lelouch is having his meeting with what will become the Black Knights three days ahead of canon plus has more to offer then just his tactical and strategic skills. See you next chapter. o7