A/N: First chapter since I got to my new posting, and it was pretty hard to do. I should have an update for a few other stories out soon, considering I'm basically back at school again, so please enjoy this!
The long table in the dining room, was occupied by five people. Those were myself, Princess Cornelia, Princess Euphemia, Lord Guilford and General Darlton.
I had to admit, the spread of food laid out was rather impressive, ranging from steaks to roast duck and sides to go along with all the meals.
"This is all very nice" I said, playing with the knot in my tie "But you didn't need to do this just for me. I mean, I'm nothing special."
"Nonsense" Princess Euphemia said with a smile "A birthday is an important celebration no matter where you are."
I couldn't help but chuckle. Royalty had better things to do with their time than be sitting with me at a birthday dinner that wasn't even required.
"Are you enjoying your time here so far Andrew?" Euphie asked me as I began to eat my dinner.
I paused, holding up a finger to signal that I would answer when my mouth was empty. Once I swallowed, I began.
"Well, I will admit, it's certainly different from what I'm used to in many aspects considering that at home all I did was go to school and my part time job.
"Sure, I miss my stuff, my family and my friends, but this is kinda like a new adventure….hell, it is a new adventure all in itself. And plus, if I was never sent here, I would've never met any of you people."
Nods came from around the table after I had finished talking, and I proceeded to take a small sip from my glass of red wine.
Dinner was a subdued affair as I had expected it to be. There were only the five of us, and it was limited to civilian topics only, with military and politics totally off bounds.
Darlton retired early, claiming that he needed to put in some logistical forms for the Camelot Project, whatever that was, so he left early in the evening.
"Well dinner was lovely" I said, wiping my mouth on a silk napkin and then standing up "But I think it's time that I return to my quarters. Thank you Princess for dinner."
"Hold it right there Andrew" Euphemia said, standing up and frowning a little "The party isn't over yet."
"It's not?" I asked, somewhat dumbfounded. I hadn't had many parties before, nor had I really gone to any of them, so I didn't know the customs, especially with royalty.
"Of course it's not" she said, relaxing and walking around the table.
I was faintly aware that the two other people in attendance had also gotten up from the table and were heading towards the balcony.
Euphemia grabbed my hand and grinned, pulling me towards the ornate double doors leading outside onto the large balcony.
The doors were pushed open and I went outside. This balcony was where I usually came to think when I wasn't in the mood to go for a shower. It was also one of my many spots that I really enjoyed to read in.
There were small lights scattered about, to provide just enough light to see where you were going, but that was about it. All the rest of the light was provided by the Tokyo settlement glowing brightly beneath us.
"This is all very nice and all" I said quietly, going to the railing and leaning on it "But what are we all doing out here?"
"Well it wouldn't be much of a party without dancing, now would it?" Euphie asked me, smiling softly.
"Da..dancing? I'm sorry, but I don't dance" I said, looking back out over the city.
"It's easy. I'll show you" she said, and before I could reply or protest, she had grabbed my hand and practically dragged me to the middle of the balcony, only pausing to press play on the sound system.
"I can't dance" I hissed quietly, as she put her hands on my shoulders.
"Oh who's going to see you?" she chided, placing my hands on her hips "The only people up here are me, you, my sister, and her knight."
I did have to admit, she had a point there, but I still didn't like it.
"Fine" I growled "One dance, and that's it."
"I don't think my sister would want to miss her dance with you, do you Andrew?" Euphemia asked me, continuing to sway to the music.
"Your sister doesn't need to dance with me. It's not required" I said, continuing to keep a respectful distance from the young princess.
"I'm afraid that's not your choice to make" she replied, smiling toothily as the song ended "It looks as though my time is up."
Euphemia glided away smoothly, and just as smoothly, Cornelia took her place, but moved my hands into a different posture. One of them is resting on the small of her back, while the other is held out, as she puts her hand on my shoulder and clasps my free one with hers.
This is really the first time that I notice that I'm actually taller than her. Sure, she can be imposing when she wants, but I've got a good three inches of height against her.
Once again, the music starts to play, but instead of just swaying, I actually let my feet follow the beat, and I surprised myself.
I was dancing actually alright, moving around with the older princess and performing a few advanced maneuvers such as spins and whatnot.
"I thought you said you didn't know how to dance?" Princess Cornelia asked me, looking up slightly.
"I'm not sure your highness. I've never had any formal lessons" I replied, dipping her and then bringing her back up.
We passed by Euphemia and Guilford, who were also dancing together, and I could swear that I heard his teeth grinding together.
"Heh heh" I thought "Making him angry is fun."
"You do know, that you can drop the formalities Andrew" Princess Cornelia said as we continued to dance around. "You really only need to keep it formal in public or in a military setting."
No formalities….? This was odd. I had thought that Princess Cornelia really didn't like me, mostly because I had dropped in fully unannounced, interrupted her big meeting, and then the very next day I had taken her sister gallivanting around Tokyo without any real protection.
"Thanks…..Cornelia" I said with hesitation and skepticism. The words felt foreign in my mouth without any title in front of it. I will admit though, I did like the way it sounded in the relaxed setting.
We danced in silence for a little, until I spoke up. "I wanted to thank you for this party. It wasn't necessary for you to go through the trouble just for me, but thanks Cornelia. I've had a good time."
"I'm glad you've enjoyed the night Andrew. It has been fun" she replied, smiling slightly as she looked up at the moon almost wistfully.
I checked my watch and noted the time, which was quarter to eleven at night. It was late, and I was tired. I could also tell that my dance partner was becoming sleepy due to the fact that her movements were starting to slow down.
Euphemia, who hadn't really talked for most of the night after our first dance said "I think it's time to call it a night. Lord Guilford, could you escort me to my quarters?"
Guilford of course complied, and began to walk inside with Euphemia who seemed to make a small gesture behind her back that I didn't really catch.
I walked over to the sound system and shut the music down, kneeling onto the concrete and unplugging the lights while I was at it.
"Captain Dixon?" Cornelia asked from behind me.
"Yes Princess?" I asked over my shoulder.
"Could you please escort me to my room?"
Without hesitation, I replied "Of course your highness."
We walked back into the dining room, and I closed the doors behind us, locking them out of habit as I had always done back when I was in Toronto.
I had never actually had the need to go to Princess Cornelia's room, so I had no clue where in the hell it actually was in the maze of halls and corridors.
I began guessing where I was going, and within about two minutes, I had gotten us totally lost.
"Well" I said "I have no idea where I am or where I'm going."
I was rewarded with another musical laugh from her, a laugh that I had really started to like even after only hearing it a few times.
"We're close to my chambers. I think I can get us there" Princess Cornelia said, grabbing my hand and leading me down the hallway.
Within about fifteen seconds, we were standing in front of a non-descript wooden door that looked like any other one in the entire place.
Producing a key, she unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping inside as she did.
"Well, that concludes my duties, so goodnight your highness" I said, turning and starting to walk down the hall before I heard "Just a moment."
I stopped and turned around, as Princess Cornelia stepped back out of her doorway, a small smile on her lips. "You never actually got a birthday present, did you Dixon?"
"No your highness, but it's not necessary. You've done enough, and more than for tonight. Don't let it bother you" I said, starting to turn around before she grabbed my shoulder.
I let out an involuntary shudder as it felt like fire was spreading from where she grabbed me. Her touch seemed slightly intoxicating to me, and I had no clue why. I had never felt like this before in my life.
"Captain this is an order" she said, coming closer to me.
Leaning up, she gently placed a kiss on my cheek, before letting me go.
With a shit eating grin on her face, she said "Happy Birthday Captain" and she turned around, went to her room, and closed the door.
My hand went up and found the spot where her lips had been a moment earlier, and it was still warm.
That warmth began to spread through my body as I let loose another shiver that I couldn't control.
"It was a damn good night" I said to myself, as I started to walk down the hall with a spring in my step.
Little did I know, that in a few days, I would be in a situation that I would have little control over, and people would die.
Five Days Later, January 25th
I was sitting at Princess Euphemia's desk, performing the mundane duties of sorting paperwork.
It was early evening, and the princess had gone to the Lake Kawaguci Convention Center (in disguise of course) to look into the annual Sakuradite convention.
Things had been flowing surprisingly smooth in Area 11 since my birthday celebration.
There weren't even any major terrorist attacks in the settlement, there were only a few small skirmishes near the Narita Mountains, the rumored HQ of the JLF, or so I had been told.
Once the paperwork had been dealt with, I flicked the radio onto one of my favorite stations and propped my feet up on the desk, relaxing after another successful day at the office.
Then, I heard something that drained the colour from my face and caused me to topple over backwards in my chair.
"The Lake Kawaguci Convention Center has been put on lockdown due to a hostile takeover of the building by the Japanese Liberation Front. We've been told that they are led by Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe. No demands have yet been made and we'll have more information to come when it's available."
I jumped back up, tripping over my chair as I attempted to grab my tunic off the coatrack in the corner.
Stepping over the chair, I ripped the jacket off the wooden thing and ran out the door as I started putting my arms in.
I crashed unceremoniously into the Viceroy's office, panting as I finished doing up the buttons on my uniform.
Princess Cornelia looked up sharply from what she was doing, a frown on her face as she began to open her mouth, but I stopped her.
"Your highness" I said between gulps of air "We have a situation on our hands."
Two hours later
"No we can't do that" I said, leaning on the table with my palms flat "If we even try a frontal assault, they'll kill all the hostages."
"We can't sit on our hands and do nothing" Major Richter argued. "There must be action."
"Hand me those building schematics then" I retorted, holding my hand out to receive the roll of paper.
I unfurled the blueprints and began tracing a finger over them.
"Well, I may have just found an entrance" I muttered, turning my attention to the throne about twenty feet behind me.
"Your highness, the main utilities tunnel goes right under the main road to the convention center. We should be able to put a few Knightmares down there and rescue the hostages."
"See to it then" she simply said, leaving me to direct the operations.
I gulped.
Never before had I been in charge of anything this important, which would have the lives of people on the line.
Calling in the engineering corps, we opened one of the large covers in the road behind the G-1 Base and got three winches set up.
To each cable, we attached a Sutherland frame, and I made my way back to the G-1, confident that I had taken every precaution I could to allow the success in this plan.
Hell, everything else we tried failed, so this could be the way to rescue Princess Euphemia.
Once I was back in the control room, I gave the signal to the men in the tunnel.
Everything was going smoothly, and I smiled to myself that this could be it.
And then over the radio, I heard it.
The screams of terrified and surprised pilots, explosions rattling around, and then nothing.
I looked at the map, and it confirmed this, with three little 'Lost' beacons where the frames once were.
My face fell as I thought about the people who I'd sent to their deaths.
"It seems as though they were wiped out" a technician said, clearing the map.
"Wiped out?" General Darlton shouted, startling the man.
"It looks like they've modified a Glasgow into a linier cannon" he replied.
Cries of "What do we do now?" and "We'll never break through!" echoed around the room, and then someone decided to say something stupid.
"If we release the political prisoners, like they demand..."
He was cut off, as Princess Cornelia shouted "We can't show weakness to terrorists!"
I watched Guilford lean down and whisper something to her. I managed to catch the words Princess Euphemia, and Cornelia responded with a curt "I know."
Darlton spun on his heel and said "Thus far, it appears that none of them have discovered that fact.
"If they learned that Princess Euphemia is among the hostages, they'll undoubtedly use her as a bargaining chip. She went there just to observe, therefore, she isn't registered with the other guests."
I breathed a sigh of relief at this news. Euphie was safe, but for how long?
We all walked back over to the planning table, and with Darlton on my left, we began to look for a different way into the building.
Several hours later
Darkness had fallen, and we had yet to come up with any substantial plan that would be able to rescue the Britannian hostages in the tower.
I rubbed a hand over my face in an attempt to fight off the exhaustion that was slowly creeping into my system.
My gloves and tunic, discarded on a chair and forgotten about, as we continued to work.
Suddenly, the communications screen in front of us illuminated, and their sat the man responsible for causing this.
I think...
"Hello, I am Colonel Kusakabe."
"Bingo!" I thought "Andrew: 1, JLF: 0."
"This message is a recording, but the footage I'm about to show you is live right now if you want to go over to your windows and watch. Meet our demands soon, or this will get worse."
The screen darkened for a second, as we all looked around with confused expressions on out face, and then, the picture came back.
Five men stood on the roof, four with weapons, I could deduce they were the JLF, and one was bound and standing there, most likely a hostage.
"Oh fuck no" I muttered, as one of the soldiers took a step forward and hit the man in the back with his weapon, causing him to stumble off the edge of the roof.
I took a step towards the screen, as did most of the people in the construct, as if we were going to catch him, but the man disappeared behind the trees.
A fall from that height would've killed anyone instantly, but I knew, from there on out, that we were not dealing with humans.
We were dealing with animals.
Kusakabe came back, and I clenched my fists with anger.
"Since you needed a little help with your negotiations, one hostage will be thrown from the roof every half hour. For their sake, you best speed things up. This is your warning."
The screen went black, and I released my fists, the anger still flowing through my body.
"Guilford, Darlton! Come, we're going to get on the ground with this" Princess Cornelia shouted, causing both men to look up and fall into step behind her as she walked out.
The last thing she said was "Captain Dixon has the conn."
"I'm in charge here? Great. As if things couldn't get worse" I thought, as the door closed behind the three of them.
A few moments later, the comms screen came back to life, and on it, was someone I had been acquainted with in the past week.
Zero.
He gave a simple message, mostly which was "I'm going to rescue the hostages" and that was it.
"Go tell the Viceroy about this!" I barked, causing them to jump slightly, and one of them to run out and down the hall.
"It seems as though, things got worse...again." I thought.
Massive floodlights kicked on, illuminating the news van, with Zero riding on top of it.
The radio was alive with chatter, people asking for permission to shoot, but all were given the negative.
I watched as it slowly rolled past the G-1 and towards the road to the hotel, nothing in its way.
That is, until Princess Cornelia blocked the path, along with General Darlton, and Lord Guilford, all three of them in their Knightmares.
He was surrounded on all sides, with men and frames, all brandishing weapons, fingers poised over the triggers.
I saw the hatch on Princess Cornelia's Knightmare open, and she stood up. I could tell she was saying something, but couldn't tell what.
Then, she pulled out something that looked like a sword, but had a trigger.
"Swordgun?" Wicked!" I thought, as I continued to watch the scene below me.
She was taken by surprise, something Zero said, undoubtedly shocking her.
She seemed to be shaking with barely constrained rage, and then she looked surprised again. She called something out, and I assumed that Zero responded.
Slowly, she lowered her weapon, and over the radio I heard General Darlton say "All Britannian forces, let Zero pass, I repeat, let Zero pass."
Knightmares moved to the side, but the Princess remained there, her face was a mask of fury as she stared straight ahead, not even glancing at the news van as it drove slowly past.
"What the actual fuck?" I muttered, causing the people around me to turn and look at me.
"What?" I asked, as they all returned to their work.
"Captain Dixon, are you there?" I heard over the radio.
Picking up the microphone, I said "This is Captain Dixon. Orders?"
"Dixon, get in contact with the Engineers and tell Lloyd Asplund that he is cleared to launch the Lancelot into the utilities tunnel."
"Understood" I said, putting the microphone down and turning back to the table.
"Uhhh...can someone please get me a line to Lloyd Asplund?" I asked, unsure of what to say even when I got in contact with this person.
A moment later, I was staring at a man who looked to be late twenties or early thirties, with lavender hair, greyish eyes, and spectacles perched on his nose.
"Yes, what is it?" he said in a sing-song voice.
To me, he sounded totally gay, not gonna lie, but I never judged people like that, so I just started making up an order right on the spot.
"I'm Captain Dixon, one of the military advisors to Princess Cornelia. The order has come down that you are cleared to launch the Lancelot into the utilities tunnel. Do you understand this?"
"Wonderful!" he said, his eyes dancing with joy. "I want to thank you for that lovely order!"
And with that, the screen went black as he cut the feed.
I shook my head slowly as I wondered what the hell that guy was hopped up on...and where I could get some.
The minutes counted down, until this Lancelot thing started up, and I looked down at the screen.
It was showing a single Knightmare Frame in the tunnel, where the linear cannon was placed.
"A single unit? Really? It better be a good one" I thought, as the blip took off with incredible speed, faster than the other ones moved.
All of the sudden, the ground shook and a blast of air came out of the large hole in the ground, which signaled that the cannon had fired.
If I had been watching the frame, I would've seen it dodge and weave. As it stood when I looked back down, the Lancelot was still moving.
"Hot damn" I muttered "We have a shot at this."
I watched the screen in astonishment as the machine dodged around things four more times, and it kept plugging along.
"I've gotta meet these people. I want to see this frame. It's practically unstoppable" I said quietly, a smile crossing my face.
Another explosion rumbled from underground, as a column of water spouted in front of the hotel, and as it cleared, I managed to get a good look at the frame.
It was unlike the others I had seen in my short stay here, as this one was white, with gold inlay, and looked more like a knight than any of the other frames did.
It was holding some sort of big blue gun, that looked fairly dangerous, and I was right.
With a shower of green laser fire at the hotel, I watched, stunned as the 3-D image we had stated that the foundation had been destroyed, and that the hotel was starting to submerge.
We would be able to rescue the hostages, and kill the terrorists all in one fell swoop.
All of the sudden, explosions ripped through the upper floors of the tower, causing it to topple to the side and crumble.
"No!" I screamed, my mind flashing to all the civilians inside and Princess Euphemia.
I grabbed my tunic and gloves, and ran outside, screaming "Someone has the fucking conn!"
I dashed up to where Princess Cornelia, General Darlton, and Lord Guilford's Knightmares were, their hatches open, and the three of them standing up.
Dark plumes of smoke billowed from where the hotel once stood, and I started running towards it.
I was faintly aware of someone calling my name, but I paid it no heed.
One of my friends was there, and I was damned if I would let her die like that, at the hands of terrorists.
I kept running, and saw the white Knightmare standing in the middle of the destruction as the smoke and dust began to settle around the debris.
The pilot seemed to be...contemplating something, but again, I didn't care.
The smoke around the water cleared with a sudden gust of wind, and out of it appeared a yacht.
With Zero standing on it.
"My dear Britannians" he began, as I stopped running to listen. "Have no fear. All of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound. I, Zero, return them to you, unharmed."
"Thank fuck they're alright" I said, my hands on my knees as I caught my breath "But that bastard is playing dirty. If we attack him, he'll take all those people hostage."
Floodlights snapped on, showing seven people standing behind Zero, all dressed in black uniforms.
"People!" the masked man continued "Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. We, are the Black Knights.
"We of the Black Knights, stand with all those who have no weapons to wield, regardless of whether they be Elevens, or Britannians.
"The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took Britannian civilians hostage, and they mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore, they have been punished. Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for the countless slaughter of unarmed Elevens.
"We could not stand by and allow such cruelty be carried out, so we made him pay for his actions. I will not perform battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one sided massacre of the weak by the strong!
"The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again. No matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be.
"Those of you with power, fear us" Zero said, throwing out his cape to one side "Those of you without it, rally behind us. We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgement, of this world."
That was the end of his speech, as the ship turned away from us all, and proceeded to moved swiftly away, although we still couldn't fire due to all the civilians who were making their way towards the shore.
I snorted after he finished. Sure, he was charismatic, and could get a crowd going with his speeches, but I thought it was all bullshit.
I let out a sigh of relief as I saw Princess Euphemia climbing up one of the supports onto the roadway, and I ran over to her.
"Princess Euphemia!" I called, stopping in front of her and quickly bowing "Come, we must get you back to safety. Were you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you Captain" she said, as her guards took up pace behind us, prepared to shoo anyone away who decided to get too close.
In mere moments, we were back to where the small troop of Gloucester Frames had been, but they weren't there anymore.
We continued back to the G-1, where I assumed that Cornelia, Darlton, and Guilford would've gone, and I was right.
General Darlton was waiting just inside the door for us, and then Guilford wasn't far away, standing beside a door in the base.
Princess Euphemia went inside that room, followed by Guilford.
I was about to go in, when a hand on my shoulder stopped me.
Looking at General Darlton with confusion on my face, I said "Sir?"
His reply was a chuckle, and then he said "You're going to debrief with me."
The large man led me down the hallway to another room, opening the door and holding it for me.
I nodded my thanks and went in, standing at ease in front of the desk that was there, glancing at the chair beside me.
Darlton walked around the desk and sat down, gesturing for me to do so as well.
I calmly did, and waited to see what he said.
"I will commend you" he said, glancing up at me and back to some papers scattered on the desk "You managed to keep your head for most of this operation, except for right at the end when you ran towards the demolished hotel."
"Heh heh" I laughed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Sorry General. I just wanted to see if I could get to Princess Euphemia and help her."
"Understandable" he muttered, making a mark on the paper. "All in all, I'm impressed with your tactical abilities. It seems as though you can handle yourself in a situation, and make tough decisions when the needs arise."
I thought back to the three pilots who I had gotten killed, due to the fact that I didn't know about the cannon in the tunnel.
The general must've picked up on this, as he said "Those deaths aren't your fault. Those men knew what they signed up for. Unlimited liability is just something we need to live with in everyday life."
"Besides" he continued "It isn't just me who thinks you have a strong mind for the battlefield. The princess and her knight think you'll be an asset to have in this war against terrorism."
"Princess Cornelia and Lord Guilford think I'll be an asset?" I asked, before saying, in a slightly goofy manner "Get outta here!"
"I'm serious Dixon" Darlton said, cracking a grin "They both think that you can help tremendously to clean the vermin out of the cracks."
I had gotten to know the general pretty well, and needless to say, we had become friends in the few weeks that I had been here. He did have some pretty awesome stories, I won't lie about that.
"Is that all General?" I asked, standing from my chair.
"That's it Captain. Transport will be arriving soon to take us all back to the Palace, so just go and relax for a bit. Let some stress off."
"Yes General" I replied, snapping my heels together and saluting the man, who saluted back.
Turning around, I walked out of the base and sat on a bench close by, breathing a little 'fresh' air, thinking over the events of the day. It had been rather taxing, so I put my head back, and my eyes fell shut on their own accord.
I awoke with a start, as I felt someone looking down at me and poking me.
Jumping up, I caused the person to stumble back slightly as I pulled a dagger from my boot, ready to attack, but stopping a second later.
"Jesus Euphie. Don't do that" I said, replacing the blade in my right cavalry boot, making sure it was in the sheath I had sewn in.
"Sorry, but my sister sent me to get you. The ride to the Palace is here" she said, giggling a little.
"Funny, real funny" I mutter, getting up and stretching, cracking several vertebrae as I did "I nearly stab you, and you're laughing about it."
"Oh come now" she said, grabbing my arm, and walking with me towards the armored limo. "You wouldn't stab me."
"I should hope not" Princess Cornelia said, standing by the vehicle, her arms crossed and drumming the fingers of her right hand on her left bicep.
I couldn't help but face-palm at this, considering what Euphemia had just said.
"Do you want context, or no?" I asked the violet haired princess.
"Euphemia will tell me later. You're off the hook for tonight Dixon" she said, stepping into the car before us.
I sighed, as I helped Princess Euphemia in, and then got in last, closing the door.
The only thing I wanted, was my nice, warm bed.
It had been one hell of a day.