Disclaimer: See chapter 1. Gilgamesh Sai Britannia is the property of Centurious the Azure.
Code Geass SEED: Wolf's Fury R1
By Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure
A Developing Storm
A new day dawned on Pendragon, The sun slowly rose over the heart of the Holy Britannian Empire, painting the buildings with its life-giving light; all the buildings slowly turned the colors of the rising orb it emerged to give birth to a bright new day. A single lone figure stood in the gardens of the Demeter Villa, drinking in the sight of it all. Sebastian always liked watching the sunrise. It was the one thing Earth had over the PLANTs.
"Some things in nature just can't be replicated; a good sunrise is one of them." He remarked to no one in particular. Forest Green rolled about his master's feet. He couldn't help but give a wistful gaze at the Haro, despite incredibly annoying and wanting to punt it over the house; it was his sole connection to where he came from. "Well, FG, I guess it's time to get to work."
"Time to get to work! Time to get to work!" It beeped before taking off to do whatever it is Haros do when they aren't annoying dimensionally displaced ZAFT ace pilots. Sebastian just shook his head in bemusement as he commenced with his morning workout. The sound of metal grinding against metal rang in his ears as he unsheathed Fenrir. He held the blade given to him by Un No at eye level, watching the sun reflect off the polished steel.
He began a practice kata. It quickly became a rapid ballet of slashes, stabs, blocks and parries. If anyone had been watching they could immediately see the master swordsman the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due truly was. He then reached the ending slashed upwards and then spun in a tight circle and went for a sweeping cut, near an old dead tree. He sheathed Fenrir. A long second passed, the trunk split and clattered to the ground with a loud thud.
Sebastian looked at the rotted wood; "I guess I did the landscaping staff a favor by getting rid of it." He remarked, before heading inside to take a shower. It had been four months since arriving on this new world and he hadn't seen or heard anything from his team. It was starting to make him restless. He went inside and grabbed a shower.
Once he was done and in a fresh change of clothes, he grabbed some breakfast and went out on the porch. He looked out across the cityscape, towards the far horizon. "Anthony…I hope you're alright, brother. I'm going to do everything in my power to find you and the others, just hang on a little bit longer."
He went inside to find Euphie and Tia sitting at the breakfast table. The two women were prepared for a visit to unveil a new exhibit at the Pendragon Natural History Museum. Despite not having any kind of real authority, The Third Princess still had her social obligations to meet. It suited the Storm Wolf just fine. He needed some time to himself.
"Commander, Do you have any plans for the day?" Euphie asked.
"Actually, I do have a request to make of you, Princess." Sebastian stood up, finishing his tea. "It's been four months since I've come to your world. I suppose I'm feeling…restless is all. I haven't had a good fight in a while and thought I'd try my luck against Britannia's finest. Think you could set something up?"
"Quite easily, I could talk with my sister and she could arrange it." Euphie said. "Of course, that would mean you'd have to learn to pilot a Knightmare Frame. I doubt they'd let you use your own machine." She spoke of the CGUE, secure in a special hangar below the villa, usually reserved for machines belong to a royal's personal guard unit, but it was currently empty except for the aforementioned machine.
"I don't mind…it could be a challenge, learning how to use a completely new kind of weapon." Sebastian said, relishing the chance to pilot a Knightmare Frame. There was a certain thrill of mastering a new machine.
(Ashford Academy, Area 11)
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, The Arctic White Wolf was preparing for his day. Anthony had settled into the population of the posh boarding school with little effort. He was currently getting his school uniform on and preparing for the day. Anthony picked up his M6S SOCOM, giving it a quick check before putting it into the concealed holster on his right hip.
He grabbed his school bag and made his way to homeroom. To be honest, he had never expected to be a student ever again. His whole life had revolved around combat and to be dropped into a situation like this without any kind of preparation was far from his ideal situation. But like a true soldier, he would adapt. So far, he had a dim view of most of the students; many of them were ignorant of what was going on outside the school walls, and buying into much of the rhetoric the throne threw out on a daily basis.
"Hello Anthony!" A cheerful voice called out. The sniper turned to see a young woman with long auburn hair come towards him, wearing the beige jacket and black skirt that made up the female Ashford Academy uniform. Shirley Fenette was one of the exceptions when it came to the students. She was cheerful and polite, always ready with a sweet smile and a kind word. Plus she wasn't half bad looking to boot.
"Good morning, Shirley. How was your big swim meet?"
"Thanks for asking. We came in first place!" She replied. Her green eyes alight with warmth when the first bell rang. "Come on, we don't want to be late! I wish Lulu could take an example from you and not cut classes, it just annoys me to no end when he and Rivalz take off to go gambling." She said.
"I'm surprised you're so concerned about him, Shirley. Perhaps there's something more going on?" He smiled knowingly, causing the swimmer to start blushing.
"Uh, I have to get to class!" She said quickly before running off. Anthony just watched the redhead. It was clear to anyone she had a crush on the dark haired young man that was the Vice President of Ashford Academy's Student Council. The Arctic White Wolf remembered his first meeting with Lelouch Lamperouge.
(Student Council Room, three days after meeting with Milly)
Anthony tugged at the collar of the school uniform he had been given. He had to admit it was at least stylish. He idly walked around the room, looking at the myriad of pictures on the bulletin boards, a chronicle of past events the school hosted. A wistful smile came across his lips, in another time, another place. He could have lived a life where he didn't have to worry about anything more than studying for a big exam and who he'd ask to the next big dance.
"I wonder if things had been different, we could all have lived together as a real family? Dad, Mom, Zavier and me?" He mused quietly to himself, and then quickly quashed the thought. "Hah! Not a chance! There was a reason Mom took off with Zavier. It was probably for the best…" It was then the door opened, admitting Milly, followed by the rest of the Student Council. A mousy looking kid whom the Ashford Heiress identified as Rivalz Cardemonde, the council treasurer, Shirley Fenette, a member of the swim team and secretary, a meek girl with glasses named Nina Einstein, part of the computer club, and finally, Lelouch himself.
The Arctic White Wolf first opinion of Lelouch was despite his seeming frailty, there was strength in his demeanor. Anthony wondered if he was some kind of nobility. He looked very much the part with his almost cold, aristocratic features and a thoughtful, calculating look in his brilliant violet eyes. Milly had warned him that Lelouch was a very perceptive individual, and could see things others missed or just ignored.
But all of that changed when a young girl with long, curly light brown hair sitting in a wheelchair came in. The calculating look quickly vanished and was replaced with an uncharacteristic softness. Milly had told Anthony about Lelouch's little sister, Nunally. Her cuteness and sweet demeanor immediately took him in, and the sniper could immediately see why everyone loved her.
"Well, my little minions, there's a big announcement today. Mainly that we have a new addition to our ranks! Please welcome Anthony Russo, all the way from the homeland." Milly posed like a model showing off a new car, to which Anthony just smirked bemusedly. "Anthony, why don't you introduce yourself?"
"Gladly, Madam President." He said, giving her a small kiss on the hand, eliciting blushes from Nina and Shirley while Rivalz gave a shocked expression. "As Miss Ashford said earlier, my name is Anthony Russo, I am honored to be at this fine institution of learning and I hope to get to know everyone. Please take care of me." He spoke.
Nunally came up to him. The White Wolf smiled warmly, kneeling down, "And a very special pleasure to meet you, my dear. You must be Nunally, right?"
The sandy brown haired girl giggled cutely, "Why, yes I am!" Anthony gently kissed Nunally's hand, eliciting another cute, bell-like titter, and her pale cheeks turned red, "This is my big brother, Lelouch. Say hi, brother!" The regal looking young man extended his hand out. Anthony noted that the elder Lamperouge sibling had a strong grip despite his frail looking body.
"Welcome to Ashford Academy, Mr. Russo. I think you'll really like it here." Lelouch's voice even sounded regal and commanding.
Anthony made a mental note to keep any knowledge of the Cosmic Era from Lelouch, he was definitely hiding something, but he'd play nice for now. It helped his little sister was fall down cute. "Please, call me Anthony, and the honor is mine, Mr. Lamperouge, can I call you Lelouch?"
"Of course, it's a welcome to have another addition to the council. We're always so busy, we need all the help we can get." Lelouch said. They all sat down and commenced with the meeting.
Anthony also fingered the badge on his collar. Milly had given him the new office of "Head of Student Security." While it amounted to being little more than a glorified hall monitor, it helped that he could justify why he was armed. His hand rested where his SOCOM was waiting to be drawn, but he doubted it would come to that. The bell rang and he was off to his next class.
(Stadfeldt Manor)
Not far from the Academy, a young woman with red hair was waking up to her daily dose of hell. Kallen Kozuki yawned as she sat up, revealing she was wearing nothing more than a pink bra and panties that showed off her very voluptuous figure. She grumbled as she changed into her uniform. She really did not want to go to Ashford. But Oghi had been firm, telling her to lie low for a while. And going to Ashford meant staying at home with the rest of her "loving family." It didn't take long, the minute she finished dressing and opened the door she had to stare at the pointed, sour face of Jessica Stadfeldt, Kallen's stepmother.
"Oh…you're awake on time for once." She drawled in her usual, condescending tone. The woman's voice was like nails on a chalkboard. "I suggest you get going. I don't want to get a phone call from the Headmaster saying you had collapsed at school…again. Now go get some breakfast." There was a shattering of glass, and the Stadfeldt matriarch's nostrils flared in a truly undignified fashion. Kallen didn't have to look far to see the source of the sound.
A Japanese woman in her mid-forties, dressed as a maid was standing over the remains of what used to a light cover for the lights on the chandelier. "Uh, I'm sorry mistress, the ladder gave out when I was changing the lights." She meekly replied, before Jessica lashed out, backhanding the poor maid across the face.
"Worthless Eleven trash! You can't do a single thing right!" She snapped, about to hit the maid again, but she found her hand stopped. Jessica's eyes widened as her husband fixed her with a stony gaze. "J-james!"
"And it's no wonder why the Japs are constantly shooting us full of holes!" Baron James Stadfeldt barked, "It's because of incidents like this! What have I told you about abusing the servants? You seem to forget I sign their paychecks! We have three kids and all you can think about is yourself! Of course that's pretty normal around here, given all the time you spend blowing through my money for more plastic surgery! Go back to screwing the pool boy, you bitch!"
Jessica turned up her nose at him, "Hmph! Like you're one to talk!" She shot back, "All you do is lounge around the house all day and get drunk! We've been married for seven years and you don't even as so much as speak to me, let alone touch me!"
"That's easy, I don't want to get infected with all the Botulism coursing through your body! I'm surprised it hasn't killed you already!" He replied, before looking to Kallen, "Sweetheart, go ahead and get off to school. I don't think you need to see this!" Kallen rolled her eyes and quickly took off down the stairs, wanting to get out of the house as quickly as possible, tuning out the argument between James and Jessica. She had to pass by the rooms of her half-siblings.
"Hah, take that you fags!" Came the loud, obnoxious voice of her older half-brother, James Stadfeldt Jr. as the sound of very bad rap music and the sounds of Call of Duty spewed through the door. Jimmy spent most of his time indoors on either his computer or one of his numerous video game consoles, subsisting on a diet of junk food and no exercise. He was constantly sweating and panting when he tried to do more than walk.
At the same time Kallen winced, as from the room across the hallway came the sound of someone torturing a cat. Actually it was just her equally obnoxious half-sister Linda making her latest attempt to get a singing contract…and it was going about as well as she expected. Linda was desperate to become famous, finding any way to go about it. She had even taken to post the horrendous atrocities she called songs on Myspace and Facebook, hoping to catch someone's attention. It wouldn't have surprised Kallen if she put out a sex tape before long.
Kallen only nominally acknowledged Jimmy and Linda as her siblings. At the rate they were both going, he'd be dead before he hit twenty due to high cholesterol, and she would probably keep chasing the spotlight long after her fifteen minutes were done. In her mind, the only brother she truly had was Naoto. Without another word she stomped down the steps and out of the house, just glad to be out of the house and be away from all the chaos. She began the trek to the bus stop.
To Kallen's surprise she saw a jet black Ferrari roar around the corner, loudly blaring its horn before screeching to a stop in front of her. The tinted window rolled down, "Hey Kallen, need a lift?" Yukimasa grinned. The young halfblood hadn't really been sure of the young man she met a few months prior in the Ghetto. The Shinjuku cell had been seeing weird flares popping off every few days and they were wondering if it was some Britannian trick.
They were quite surprised to see the young man wielding an enormous shotgun that had turned the two officers into bloody paste. He had been friendly enough, but the man identifying himself as Daisuke Ikari was clearly hiding something. But he had to admit there was a charm to him. Those blood red eyes were like two rubies and that smile could reduce her to jelly. "Hey, Daisuke…where did you get that car?"
He pulled his mirrored aviators down some, revealing those blood red orbs. "Borrowed it from my boss for the day. He won't mind as long as I bring it back in one piece. Come on, get in!" Kallen felt a slight niggling feeling in the back of her mind, but that brilliant grin was something she couldn't ignore. She opened the door and climbed in. "Hang on!" He gunned the throttle and took off, barely giving Kallen time to fasten her seat belt.
"GAHHHHHH!" Kallen screamed as the car lurched forward, gunning up to 40 miles per hour. Yukimasa just cackled. "You trying to get us both killed?"
"Aw, relax Kal. It's all good! I know what I'm doing!" He said, eyeing her uniform. "Mm, nice threads. You going off to school?"
"Yeah, but not by choice." She replied. "The only reason I'm doing this is because Ohgi wanted me to lay low for a while. I really don't want to go, though…" She trailed off, watching as the hallowed halls of Ashford Academy slowly loom up before her, but then the car made a sharp turn to the right, heading east toward the outskirts of the settlement. "Where are we going?" She asked.
"You said you didn't want to go to school. So how about we go somewhere nice instead?" He asked. "Maybe get you a fresh change of clothes so you don't stand out too much. But I do have to admit, you make that uniform look real good!" He gave an appreciative gaze to her long legs. Kallen just blushed, and Yukimasa's grin grew wider, "So tell me, where do you want to go? I'm totally good with it."
Kallen lightened up a little, "You know what? Forget what Ohgi says…take me to his apartment. I want to see him and the others. They're the only real family I have left!" She folded her arms.
"Your wish is my command, my fair lady. So let's not waste any more time!" Yukimasa grinned, gunning the throttle and the sports car made its way toward the ghetto. The two teenagers got more than a few strange gazes as they drove down the streets in the forty-five thousand dollar car. They stopped in front of the ramshackle building many of the Shinjuku cell members lived in.
It was much to Ohgi's surprise when Kallen came literally barging through his now trashed front door, courtesy of a well placed kick. The former schoolteacher barely had any time to get a word in when she wound up and slugged him right across the jaw, and he doubled over onto the floor on his knees. "Ow! Kallen, what the hell? I thought I told you to go back to school!" She just sneered and kicked him in the side. Kallen then grabbed him by the collar and hoisted Oghi up so they were eye to eye with each other.
"Let me make myself absolutely clear here, Kaname Oghi! I am NOT going back to that shithole ever again! I have had enough of all of them! This is my home now and you will just to accept it! Or do I have to finish off by smashing your balls in?" Kallen snapped.
"That won't be necessary, ma'am! You can have the spare guest room!" Oghi rasped, still nursing his sore ribs. Satisfied she had made her point, Kallen let go and walked off into the room. Yukimasa gave a sympathetic smile to the older man and helped him up.
"She let you have it good. Let me get you some ice." Yukimasa said, going over to the counter and grabbing a paper towel. He wrapped some ice up in it before handing it to Oghi. "I guess that's why it's not a good idea to piss a woman off, eh?" Oghi grimaced in affirmation as he put the paper towel to his face.
"Kallen knows damn well why I told her to lie low at home for awhile! Honestly, she's as stubborn as Naoto is!" Oghi immediately felt a stab of pain at the mention of the elder Kozuki sibling. "…I promised her brother I would protect her after he ended up in prison for that botched bank job we tried to pull over in Sengawa a few years back. I know her family isn't the best example of humanity, but at least she could have hidden herself as a Britannian. It's one of the few advantages that come with being a halfblood."
Yukimasa just shook his head. "I understand where you're coming from, I really do. You just want to be sure she's safe. I got a little sister myself…I see a lot of her in Kallen. Neither of them are the types of girl to want to be protected, and they really don't need much protection anyway." He trailed off as he thought of the youngest of his siblings.
Nanako Ayaka Sahaku was one of the rare bright spots in his life, and among the few things he missed about being home. He knew the protective feelings Ohgi had for Kallen, acting as her brother when her real one wasn't there. His own fraternal instincts always roared to life when they were together. Yukimasa put a hand on Ohgi's shoulder, sharing a moment of silent bonding. "Kallen wants to fight alongside you and everyone else in order to liberate Japan. You don't have to like it, but you can at least respect it."
"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Ohgi said, grabbing a beer from the fridge. "So where have you been for the last few days? You just upped and disappeared." Yukimasa just grinned.
"Why don't you come downstairs with me? It's easier to show you than tell." The two guys walked down the steps to where the sports car was still sitting. Ohgi's heart about stopped when he saw it.
"What the?" He sputtered, his mind still trying to process the sight in front of him, "Get that thing in the garage right now!" Yukimasa just shrugged, hopping in the driver's seat and quickly speeding around the corner where there was a small garage. The car came to stop in the garage, where Ohgi was frantically looking around, half expecting the Knight Police to appear.
"Are you out of your fucking mind? Where in the hell did you get this thing from?" The younger man just gave a cheerful grin.
"I picked it up from a Britannian guy that had been picking up Japanese chicks in the ghetto; fed them a bunch of crap about starting a new life with him in the Settlement. Once he was done stringing them along, he'd dump them right back where he found them. Saw it happen with my own eyes, no less. So I decided to look the bastard up." He grinned, "It turns out he collects cars, and they're always in need of maintenance and I'm very good with machines. So he let me tune them up, keep them in good shape. And I decided to help myself to this little beauty." He patted the car. "Go ahead and pay him a visit if you want. I'm sure he'd let you take a couple of them for yourself."
"Daisuke, let me be absolutely honest when I tell you this… You're insane," Ohgi said, to which Yukimasa just shrugged.
"I am what I am, can't change it." He said. "Look at it this way. We can sell the car, and probably make a fair amount of dough on it. I know we're always strapped for cash. In fact…" He smirked. "If we really were hard up, I'm certain we could help ourselves to the old man's collection. I'm certain he wouldn't mind at all! We could take what cash we need and give the rest of it to the people!"
Ohgi couldn't help but feel his own lips twitch a little bit. The Britannians never hesitated to throw their wealth around and rub it in the faces of all the Japanese. This was a chance to get some of it back and give it to the people who needed it so much. "Okay…I could probably find a chop shop who would pay big to sell off the parts. We'd just need to plan the heist out."
"I think we'll have a good time with that." He grinned. "So, what's been going on since I've been away?"
"I managed to get my hands on a real treasure! An old RPI-11 Glasgow that we salvaged from a scrapyard! It's going to give us a huge advantage in our raids!" Ohgi said. "And since you did say you're good with machines. Think you could look it over? It won't do us any good if we can't even start it up."
"I think I can manage. Where is it?" He said.
"In a warehouse across town. It's still pretty beat up, but if we can get it running, then we can start conducting larger scale operations than we usually do. What do you think?" He asked.
"Give me some time with it, and I'll have it purring like a kitten!" Yukimasa grinned. Ohgi nodded with approval and went back upstairs to try and make things right with Kallen. "And while I'm at it…I may pay a visit to that scrap yard and scrounge up another of these Knightmare Frames for myself." He said to the empty room. "It doesn't hurt to have a little extra firepower now, does it?"
(Frederick Ril Britannia Memorial Army Base)
A dark green motorcycle drove through the gates and came to rest in one of the parking spots. Sebastian pulled his helmet off and looked around. The base dedicated to the Ninety-Seventh Emperor was located about twenty miles from the Imperial Capital of Pendragon, and it was about one of the largest he had ever seen. Most of the ZAFT bases that were in the PLANTs were small, but well organized; given how space in the colonies was always at a premium.
But here the base spread out, in some ways it was appropriate, a representation of Britannia's vast military strength and domination over the world. The Storm Wolf was rather disgusted at the level of ego he had seen from the few members of the royal court he had met, but when one third of the planet was under their control, he guessed they could get away with acting like a bunch of colossal douchebags. There were many indications to Sebastian that the situation between Britannia and the Area Colonies was exactly the same between the Earth Alliance and the PLANTs back home.
Putting his thoughts aside, Sebastian entered the base, taking in the sights. Many were giving him strange looks at the sight of him in his red uniform, but so far nobody tried to stop him. He reached his destination, a massive brick building with the unit symbol for the 127th Armored Division, Cornelia's personal force, a coat of arms consisting of a gold cross on a violet background.
Sebastian strode up to the large oak double doors and pushed them open. He walked into the central room of the Headquarters, "Anyone home?" He called out. Another door opened, admitting a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in the standard female duty uniform of the 127th, dark violet jacket, blue sash, white skirt, and black knee-high boots.
"Can I help you, sir?" She asked in an even tone, taking note of the stranger in the equally strange looking red uniform. Although she had to admit the red brought out the color of his blue eyes.
"Yes, I'm a guest of the Division's executive officer, Major Guilford, could you please tell him I'm here?" He asked. The silver haired girl wasn't about to just let this guy walk around their base unchecked.
"He is here, but I'll need to know who you are. As a matter of security after all." She said, putting her hands on her hips. Sebastian smirked. The girl wasn't stupid enough to just accept he was a visitor and was making sure to stay in control of things, to him that was always a good sign.
"Commander Sebastian Connor, leader of the Zodiac Assault Frontline Team, and perhaps you could tell me your name, my dear?" The Storm Wolf turned on the charm, causing the girl to begin blushing.
"First Lieutenant Anna Peries, Grasham Valkyrie Squadron." She replied. It was then a series of girl like titters wafted through the door. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Really?" It was then three other girls, a brunette, a blonde, and a redhead wearing the same uniform as her entered the room. Anna looked on in annoyance, "I'm sorry, sir. These are my squadmates. Ladies, this is Commander Connor, please introduce yourselves." They all saluted.
"Second Lieutenant Maria Falkner." The brunette said.
"Second Lieutenant Marika Soresi." The redhead replied.
"Second Lieutenant Lilyanna Vergamon." The blonde smiled warmly. Sebastian snapped to attention and saluted them, who responded in turn.
"Well, ladies. It's nice to meet you all." All the girls melted at his dashing smile. .
It was then Guilford came out. "Ah, hello Major Guilford. Thank you for inviting me over. I was just getting introduced to some of your people."
Guilford bowed slightly, "You're quite welcome, Commander Connor. Yes, Lieutenant Peries and her team are some of our division's rising stars, Princess Euphemia informed me you were looking to get a few practice rounds in."
"Indeed, I heard from Baroness Monarch that the 127th is one of the best combat units in the entire Royal Armed Forces, only the divisions under the Emperor stand above them." Sebastian remembered the talk he had with the Sea Dragoness after the first hostile meeting with the Second Princess, wanting to know everything about Cornelia.
"Indeed, we take pride in our combat prowess." Guilford said. Despite his face not betraying his emotions, The Knight clearly took a great amount of pride in being considered one of the very best. It "Our soldiers are the elite of the elite. If you're really looking for a good fight, then you've come to the right place."
"Who do you recommend?" Sebastian asked.
"There's quite a few who would give you the fight you're looking for, but if it's not too much to ask. I'd like to be your first opponent. I need to keep in practice as well." The light reflected off Guilford's steel rimmed glasses. Sebastian gave a wistful smile. "Something wrong, Commander?"
"No Major, it's just…seeing your glasses make me think of my partner. He has those exact same frames. It…makes me feel at ease seeing them." Sebastian sighed, it wasn't easy to admit how much he missed the man that was like his brother. "So, you want to be my first opponent? That's just fine by me. Given your status as the Second Princess's personal knight, I have to imagine you would be nothing less than elite."
"I'll try not to disappoint. Let's get changed and head out to the training yard? We had the Knightmare Frame prepared as you requested."
"By all means Major." Sebastian said. "And perhaps these lovely ladies would like to observe our battle?" The girls giggled, clearly they wouldn't mind at all.
"Then let's get changed and head out to the training yard. We had the Gloucester prepared as you requested." Guilford said.
(Locker Room)
Sebastian took off his uniform and pulled the dark green garment on. He had been happy to see that Euphie had a new version of his flightsuit made. He pulled the white helmet out and regarded it for a moment, before tucking it under his arm. He saw Guilford, now wearing a Britannian style flightsuit in deep purple, trimmed in black and gold. "Lead the way, Major." The Storm Wolf said.
The two soldiers headed out to the training area. There two RPI-209 Gloucesters sat, one was Guilford's personal machine, painted in the brilliant violet-purple that signified his status as one of the senior commanders of the 127th. Clenched in its hand was a massive gold lance, the preferred weapon of choice for many in the 127th, their commander included.
The other was painted in a dark forest green while the shoulders and very tips of the head unit were a brilliant white. To the Valkyries it reminded them of freshly fallen snow in the wintertime. The machine had also been outfitted with a pair of slightly curved blades, larger versions of his beloved katana. The Storm Wolf began a slow walk around of the Knightmare Frame.
Guilford began inspecting his own machine, but every so often he would quickly gaze over to Sebastian, watching his every movement. He definitely knows his way around a KF with how closely he's looking it over. He wants to make sure it hasn't been tampered with. Guilford thought to himself. The Storm Wolf finished before giving a slight nod to Guilford and putting on the white helmet, and boarding his machine.
Sebastian's first opinion of the Knightmare Frame was that getting in and out of them was inherently awkward. He felt the seat retract into the cockpit pod and the control panel came to life. "Definitely different from a GINN or a CGUE. But there are some similarities." He grasped the control grips, fingering the universal track ball control and giving it a few experimental spins.
"Well, Commander, shall we begin?" Guilford asked, brandishing his spear. Sebastian smirked, drawing one of the katanas. "Seeing as how you're the guest here, I'll let you make the first move."
"Spoken like a true knight," Sebastian said, giving a salute with his own blade. "Alright then, Major Guilford. Let's see if you can weather my storm!" He looked to Anna, "Lieutenant Peries, if you'd please start us off?" The ash-blonde pulled off one of her earrings and let it drop to the ground. The jewelry glinted in the afternoon sun, and the small glimmer provided the symbol for both men to attack.
Sebastian was just a couple seconds faster. He began by opening fire with his Slash Harkens. Guilford expertly dodged out of the way, responding with his own Slash Harkens. He saw an opening and rushed his opponent, lance poised for the blow. To his surprise, the dark green Gloucester whipped around, the curved blade snapped up to trap the lance. The two machines were in a deadlock.
The Storm Wolf smirked, and punched Guilford's machine square in the torso, sending the Knightmare Frame flying backwards, followed up by another barrage of the Slash Harkens. The knight of the Second Princess fired his own, the four grappling hooks crashing into each other before they whipped back.
The two Gloucesters stood unmoving, each waiting for the other to make the next move. Sebastian didn't hesitate, rolling at top speed and circled around to flank his opponent, firing his right Slash Harken, followed by a fast slice of his blade aimed at the purple Knightmare Frame's head.
It was only through reflexes honed by training and much battlefield experience that allowed Guilford to dodge out of the way. He grunted, and plunged the spear towards the green Gloucester's torso. Sebastian paled for a second, and threw the machine to the left. But wasn't able to fully evade the blow. Guilford finally landed the first clean hit of the match, his spear plunging into the right shoulder of his opponent's KF, leaving the now useless right arm to hang limply at this side.
Sebastian winced, feeling his entire machine shudder violently. "Not a bad move, but I'm not a conventional kind of guy!" His finger hovered over the button to purge the useless limb, waiting for Guilford's next move. Once he was in range he smiled wide and pressed the button. "Say cheese!"
The arm rocketed off, acting as a crude projectile, and it was aimed right at Guilford's cockpit. He didn't have time to completely get out of the way, and so the rocketing fist crashed right into the purple Gloucester's face, taking out the factsphere. The bespectacled knight felt a wild burst of energy surge through him. Twirling the spear, he aimed with the lower part at the legs of his foe's machine in an attempt to trip him up.
Sebastian was ready for it, using his machine's remaining arm to swing upwards, slicing through the Gloucester's cloak, and leaving a large scratch mark along the length of the cockpit module. He then surprised Guilford by actually flinging the sword at him. It was simple enough to knock it out of the way with the spear, but he wasn't prepared for the Storm Wolf's rush, now carrying the second katana. One clean slice sent the left arm flying.
Both machines were now once again inches from each other. They were covered in scratches and gouges, evidence of the quick but brutal brawl between them.
Major Gilbert P. Guilford took a deep breath to calm himself. "In all my years as a soldier…no one has ever managed to do so much damage to my machine. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, Commander Sebastian Connor. It's clear you're no ordinary soldier…" He rasped, "It appears we're at a stalemate. Do you yield?" He asked, the tip of his lance just inches from his foe's cockpit.
"Heh, I was just about to ask you the same thing, Major. You almost had me when you took out my shoulder." Sebastian replied, his blade lying near to the purple Gloucester's head. "Our machines are both rather banged up. Perhaps we should just cut our losses for the day…and call this match a draw?" The katana came away, "That way we can both save face."
Guilford considered this for a moment, and the spear was slowly pulled away. "Indeed…a draw it is then." The purple Gloucester then surprised everyone by bringing its weapon up and offering a salute to the Storm Wolf. He returned the gesture, acknowledging him as a worthy opponent.
The Valkyries were stunned at the outcome of the fight. Guilford was considered one of the best in all of the Britannian Royal Armed Forces. He had been nominated for the Knights of the Rounds multiple times, but turned it down every time, insisting his place was by Cornelia's side. To them it seemed like a certain victory, but the Storm Wolf had held his own against the man known as "the Spearhead of the Empire."
"No way that just happened!" Marika exclaimed, watching as her commanding officer emerge from his Knightmare Frame. "No one's ever done that to the Major's unit before!"
"Well, he just did!" Lilyanna replied, watching as Sebastian did the same, coming from his damaged unit, helmet in hand. The two of them got down and walked toward each other, eyes not deviating. The two soldiers just stood for a few second regarding each other. Before Sebastian held his hand out.
"Good match, Major. If you're this intense during a simple practice session, I'd hate to have fight you for real." Sebastian said. Guilford's lips twitched upwards in a slight smile and took the Wolf's hand offering a strong handshake.
"I concur. I can see why you were taken out of the regular forces, Commander." Guilford was still in awe at how fluidly the Storm Wolf moved. It was like he was born in the cockpit. "Your skill exceeds anything I've ever seen before. I dare say you'd even be a match for the Knights of the Rounds themselves, even Lord Waldstein would be hard pressed to keep up with you and he's the Knight of One."
"I appreciate the compliment, Major Guilford…But how about we cut the bullshit?" Sebastian's face became all business. A tingle went down the bespectacled knight's back at how serious the younger man had become. He was like a predator, a wolf poised for the kill. "I'm no fool. I know Princess Cornelia ordered you to keep an eye on me and see if I was a threat to her sister. Now I'll admit she's fully justified in thinking that way, Euphie is her little sister and would be naturally protective of her." He took a deep breath, "Especially since she's the only family Her Highness has left after what happened to her mother, not to mention the tragedy of Empress Marianne and her own children…"
Guilford's eyes widened. "And just how do you know about that?" He asked to which the Storm Wolf nodded.
"Baroness Monarch filled me in," He began rattling it off in near monotone, "Third Imperial Consort Elizabeth Li Britannia, formerly Elizabeth Weber, the Grand Duchess of Maine before her marriage to 98th Emperor Charles Zi Britannia, assassinated on July 8th, 2003 ATB when a suicide bomber took over her personal jet and blew it up in midair. Fifth Imperial Consort Marianne Vi Britannia, formerly Knight of Six Marianne Lamperouge; murdered in a drive-by shooting on October 17th, 2009 ATB. Her children, Eleventh Prince Lelouch and Eleventh Princess Nunally killed during the Second Pacific War when Britannia invaded the nation of Japan…If you ask me it reads like a damn Greek tragedy!"
"So you understand why Princess Cornelia is weary of any outsiders approaching Princess Euphemia?" Guilford asked, getting his own game face on. The Storm Wolf just shrugged.
"Cornelia holds herself responsible for what happened to her mother, and the woman she admired so much. In many ways we're not that different…" Sebastian trailed off looking off towards the mountains on the horizon, recalling a nuclear bomb plunging towards an hourglass shaped colony hanging in space while he could only scream in impotent range from his totaled GINN.
He turned to look Guilford in the eye, "What kind of soldier can you be if you're unable to even protect your own family from danger?" he asked, letting the Knight be hit by the full intensity of the pain in his steel blue orbs. It was the same pain Guilford only caught in the briefest of flickers in Cornelia's eyes. The Second Princess concealed her sorrow deep behind her haughty exterior; the mental armor she had built up over the years contained it, but the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due did not bother with such trifling things. He wore the pain on his sleeve, and looked into the abyss of his own eyes every morning in the mirror.
Sebastian looked way older than his eighteen years suggested. Guilford could see he was a true veteran and not just some arrogant pretender hoping to get in good with one of the Imperial Family as a fast track to greater things. "You don't have to say anything, Commander Connor. It's not my place to know." He replied. "But still…I need to tell her something. Her Highness is expecting a report from me." To which the younger man nodded graciously.
"Major, I've come to respect you, as a soldier and as a man. So I'll throw you a bone…the truth is that I'm trying to find where my team is. After our last mission, I got separated from them. I'm desperately looking for where they are. I can't tell you anything more than that, because it was one of those missions that no one would admit to." Sebastian closed his eyes, "My team is all that I have left in this world, Major. I just want to find them."
Guilford considered this new information. Perhaps a gesture of good faith inn helping track down this mysterious 'ZAFT' squad of the Storm Wolf's would help improve relations between the young pilot and the Second Princess. "I will tell Princess Cornelia about this…She has access to resources that would make ascertaining their whereabouts quite simple. I'll just need to swing it by her." He said.
"Thank you, Major. I think it's about time I returned to the Villa, Euphie would worry." He offered a salute to the Valkyries and departed for the locker room to change.
(Frederick Ril Britannia, Headquarters Building)
Unbeknownst to anyone, a few others had observed the battle between Sebastian and Guilford. "Impressive…most impressive." A young man of seventeen with short golden hair remarked, "I never imagined the day would come when someone would push Cornelia's Knight to his absolute limit. It's quite fascinating. I'm quite curious to meet the pilot of that green Gloucester. He could prove to be quite the source of entertainment."
"Entertaining only to you, I'm just bored!" His companion, a young Japanese woman of the same age with raven black hair tied up with black silk ribbons yawned, Her green eyes rolling in impatient annoyance, "Do we have to hang around here any longer, Gil?" The gold haired man smirked, kissing the girl's hand.
"Heh, not any more, my dear little Rinny. We have a commercial to shoot at 2:30." He replied, eliciting a groan and a muted sob from the poor girl. Gil just grinned and wrapped her up in a strong embrace "Hey, the King of Grills needs his Queen. I can't very well appear to my subjects without you now, can I?" He drawled.
"Kill me…" she whimpered.
(Pendragon Streets)
Sebastian rode in silent reflection back to the Li Britannia residence. "I gotta say that was a harder fight than I was expecting." He said to himself, as the wind whipped against his face. "Guilford was easily redcoat level. As I'm certain those Valkyrie girls are as well…" He recalled the four young ladies and how captivated they had been by the fight. "I may very well go up against them next time."
He turned on to St. Darwin Street, the place where the many branches of the Imperial Family kept their homes, finally reaching the Demeter Villa. The massive wrought iron gates creaked open, admitting the Storm Wolf's motorcycle. Sebastian sped up and drove into the large garage where the villa's motor pool was situated. The black Lincoln Continental limousine used for official state functions was still present, as was one of the two black BMW 7-F01 sedans kept for daily use.
Euphie and Tia had taken the other sedan, while their guard detail was riding in a pair of black Buick Escalades, noticeable in their absence. Sebastian parked between the limo and the sedan, doffing his helmet. He grabbed his bag and began to walk back toward the house when he someone pounding at the gates. His hand went to his M6S, and went to investigate. Sebastian's jaw nearly came unhinged at who was standing at the gates.
The seven foot three giant of a man dropped the stick he had been using as noisemaker. He was wearing the uniform of a Special Orbital Insertion Trooper of the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty, sans the armor and helmet, which Sebastian suspected was in the large bundle at his feet, along with the M247H Heavy Machine Gun that was his usual weapon of choice.
He hair had been trimmed very close and the weathered, scarred face was a road map of the many battlefields he had seen in his life time. He grinned widely at the sight of his commanding officer. "Hey Boss…been awhile hasn't it?" Chief Warrant Officer Jorge Farkas remarked.
