June 4, 2018: Britannian Occupied Tokyo
"Now you just rest here for a moment, Ms Kozuki." The doctor told his patient, helping her to sit down on a bench in the shade just outside of the main building, before moving off to attend to another issue that had come up. That was fine by Ayano who was just happy to finally be allowed outside after nearly a year of bed pans and lying down all day.
The downside of course was that, after so long a time of not using her legs, her muscles had atrophied quite a bit leaving her unable to walk for long spells without taking constant breaks. It was an annoyance but one that she was willing to pay if it meant she was finally getting better...though it also served as a reminder of her foolish actions and what it had meant for Kallen to find her like that.
Kallen, her worried eyes turned skyward towards the airships still hovering over the Tokyo Crater, my brave little girl.
Things had started to improve over the last couple of days, the additional help provided by the UFN and the Black Knights after Tokyo was split in half meant that a lot of the Britannian rescue teams could now come back and start helping more people. The result was a much more seamless operation and a quick reduction of patients. Of course there was still a lot to do which was why she'd been left on her own like this, but as far as Ayano could see it was a wonderful improvement.
Still, there were downsides to this new arrangement to go with the advantages. Most noticeably the division of Tokyo meant that people on either side of the new border were unable to communicate with each other which had caused any number of loud complaints. However, short of another war breaking out, Britannia and the UFN were doing their best to stay as far away from each other as possible so any chance of a renegotiation was unlikely.
This proved concerning for Ayano because it meant that she couldn't get in touch with the Black Knights. She'd followed them as best she could once she came out of her Refrain-induced coma and all it had done had made her worry for her Kallen's life. It was bad enough that she hadn't been there as much as she should have been, but to know that Kallen was out there fighting Britannia with her life on the line just made Ayano feel even worse.
She was so focussed on the airships that she didn't hear the approach of two figures behind her until one of them spoke. "Excuse me, Ms Kozuki?" She recognised the voice of one of the nurses - one of the advantages of being admitted to a small institution for so long - though she didn't glance around. "You have a visitor."
A visitor? Someone had come to see her? But that couldn't be right. Everyone Ayano knew, quite shamefully, were either former patients who had left before Tokyo was destroyed or worked at the hospital. There was no one outside of this place, apart from that awful woman her beloved was forced to marry, that she was even remotely in contact with. Except for...
Eyes going wide, she spun around to see who it was who had accompanied the nurse and immediately she felt tears rising in her eyes. Stood there staring back at her, also with tears beginning to grow in her father's eyes, was her beautiful baby girl. Her hair was combed down and she was dressed in high class Britannian clothing, but she would know her daughter anywhere.
For a moment the two just looked at each other, neither wanting to make the first move lest this all turn out to be a dream...and then Kallen said, in a very quiet voice, one word that Ayano had desperately been wanting to hear from her for so long: "...Okāsan?"
That did it. For both of them.
A moment later, Ayano was trying to get up to rush her girl but Kallen was faster and she ploughed right into her mother, hugging her as tightly as she possibly dared which Ayano joyfully reciprocated. For the first time in nearly a decade, everything felt as it should again.
The family reunion was everything Kallen could have hoped for and they spent nearly an hour just talking together about anything they could, although she did have to divert their conversation when it leaned towards the Black Knights. She knew her mother cared - something she'd never let herself forget again - but that was one subject she really didn't know where she stood on at the moment. Aside from that one slip up though there was no way she could possibly be happier.
I'll get it right this time. She silently vowed to herself as she helped Ayano back to her room. I swear I won't abandon her again.
It would be a difficult thing to manage, her pass wasn't unlimited and she'd eventually have to return to the Black Knights whilst her mother was still recovering from her Refrain addiction, but this time she wasn't just going to brush off the problem and hope it would go away. This time she would stick it out for as long as it took. She would make sure her mother came home safe and sound.
Speaking of safe. "So who are your neighbours?" She asked casually as they came up on their destination.
"Oh a couple of very interesting people, though I only really know one of them." Ayano replied, "The first is gentleman who was brought in after the battle ended, he's still unconscious but I'm pretty sure he's a Britannian soldier. Now Kallen," her tone turned reproachful and Kallen had to curse her body for flinching at the idea of an enemy soldier so close to her mother. Ayano clearly didn't care for it though as she went on, "there's no need for that. He's hurt and in need of help. Besides I think everyone's tired of all this fighting."
You're not the only one. She thought to herself, considering how everything had gotten so mixed up, Kallen was pretty sure everyone just wanted to go home. But she couldn't help being wary, even with the ceasefire there was no knowing how long it wold be before someone sparked something off. Britannian pride and Japanese honour, she was starting to realise, were best kept far apart from each other.
Desperate to move on from that subject, she quickly asked, "So who's the other person? The one you know?"
To her relief, Ayano smiled at the mention, clearly she'd made a friend whilst being here. "Oh she's a nice person, very polite and dedicated to the people she cares for." Her smile wilted a little as she glanced around before carrying on in a slightly more subdued voice, "I haven't told anyone, but I think she might be one of your friends."
My friends? But she didn't know anyone here. The only people she knew were either on Ashford Academy's student council - please don't let them have been caught in that - members of the Black Knights...but if the person her mother was talking of fell into the latter group...Kallen did her best not to tense up again, if there was one of their own here then she needed to get them out of here as soon as possible!
It shouldn't be too hard, this is a hospital, it's not like this place is crawling with security or anything. I could probably sneak them out in a doctor's uniform and get them back over the border before anyone knows what's happened. It would mean cutting her reunion short but this was a security matter that needed to be plugged and quickly before this person was identified and sent to interrogation.
Any plans though went out the window though when she and Ayano slid open the door to her room and Kallen got a good look at who it was who her mother had befriended. She was suddenly certain that there was no way this person would talk...in fact she felt more than a little afraid for herself now.
The woman who had caught her eye looked up at them as the door opened, her own eyes slightly widening in recognition before calming right back down, so quickly that anyone who wasn't looking for it would have missed it. With that same calm image in place, she turned a pleasant smile her mother's way in greeting. "Ayano, I see you've brought back a guest."
"More than a guest, Sayoko." Her mother replied, smiling happily before presenting Kallen to her, "This is my daughter, Kallen. Kallen this is Sayoko Shinozaki, my fellow inmate in this dreadfully dull place."
Saying anything in reply was about the furthest thing from her mind right now. With that introduction the Britannian soldier in the room just took a sudden back burner in the face of this deadly woman. She'd only seen her in action once, during her jailbreak, but it was enough to know not to get on her bad side...and the person she was deathly loyal to was the same one she'd helped the Black Knights run out of the Ikaruga.
Her bad feeling only got worse when Sayoko turned to her and shot that same smile she'd shown her mother. "Ah, so you're the Kallen that Ayano loves to talk about. It's a pleasure to meet you at last."
The cover up of their knowing each other seemed to confuse Ayano for a moment before she suddenly seemed to realise the need for secrecy and sent an understanding look her way. As for Kallen though it was further proof that things were going to get very bad very fast as she glanced over to her mother. I need to get her out of here. For now though, she'd have to play the part of concerned daughter and sent a shaky smile back at the assassin, "Y-yeah, pleasure's all mine, Sayoko-san."
She almost started when Sayoko gave her a brief 'hmm,' not losing her smile, before continuing. "Forgive me for the assumption, but would you be the same Kallen Kozuki who is the ace pilot of the Black Knights?"
This time it really was impossible for Kallen hide her flinch; what did she think she was doing?! If people found out who she was what would if they made the connection to her mother? Was Sayoko mad?! However the easy smile on Ayano's face told her that this was something that was bound to turn up so she had no choice but to reply.
"Well, I guess that's true." She said carefully, the less she gave away the better, her mother may think this was a safe place to talk but something was just nagging at her. Still she had to go on. "Though I wouldn't say I'm the absolute best."
"Really?" Ayano asked, her concern coming through clear as day at the idea that she could be hurt. Kallen hadn't told her how she'd been held prisoner by Britannia and had no intention of doing so if she could help it. That didn't keep her mother from worrying though as she went on to ask, "Does that mean there's someone who can beat you?"
Not anymore. She allowed herself the momentary smug thought at finally having totalled Suzaku's Lancelot. Regardless of how that fiasco ended, that was the one bit of solace she could take from that day.
"There was one guy," she admitted, "though there was a lot of confusion about that battle. He's actually now one of our top generals." There, she'd told her about Xingke and hadn't had to lie about any of it because, to all extents and purposes, it was the truth. I've definitely been hanging around Lelouch too long. And with that one thought, her good mood was replaced with a sombre look that didn't go amiss by either of the women in the room.
But that didn't deter Sayoko from continuing this game of 'who are you.' "I seem to remember the reports that you were Zero's personal bodyguard." She said it with that same pleasant tone but, when Kallen looked into her eyes she could clearly see that smile only went as far as her mouth was concerned. The temperature in the room dipped an extra ten degrees as she went on. "That it was your sworn duty to protect him from all threats, no matter where they came from."
The way she said it...it took everything Kallen had not to back away. That look, a disguised glare of absolute hate and fury, it could only mean one thing. She knows. She didn't know how but somehow Sayoko had found out what she and the others had done. But against that stare, not to mention her mother's lack of knowledge about what had truly happened that day, all she could do was quietly admit, "Yes. I was."
Again she just let out another 'hmm,' before turning to her mother. "Ayano, the doctors came by a little while ago," she told her, "they wanted to speak to you. Probably a routine check up on your progress."
Ayano blinked at her couple of times before smiling and nodded. "I see. Well that shouldn't take a few minutes." She said easily, completely missing how her daughter had completely stilled at the idea of being left alone with this dangerous woman. "Kallen, stay here while I take care of this would you? I'm sure Sayoko is tired of talking to the same people over and over again."
That idea terrified her more than anything, "Mum, I'm sure I can spare a few min-" She froze up again though as deceptively gentle fingers suddenly gripped her shoulder. When had she...?
"That would be wonderful, Kallen." Sayoko said, now standing directly behind her, the happy tone in her voice causing any number of shivers to go down Kallen's spine. "I'm sure there are many things that you and I can talk about. Right?"
Kallen would have answered, but the terror in her heart kept her tongue from forming words. Ayano mistook her silence for reluctant compliance and nodded approvingly. "Alright then, I'll be back in a little while, these talks never take more than five minutes or so. You two enjoy yourselves." And with that she left the ward, Kallen unable to stop her for fear that Sayoko would do to her mother what she was almost certainly about to do to her.
For a moment nothing happened between them, silence held between the two as if the first one to speak would break some unspoken contest.
Inevitably, Kallen broke first and tried to speak but a cold pricking sensation on her neck silenced her again. Sayoko, however, was in a much more talkative mood.
"You know the wonderful thing about hospitals?" She asked casually, though the pleasant tone was giving way to ice with every syllable. "They're virtually an armoury for anyone with basic training with a blade. This one isn't the sharpest, or the toughest. In fact if I used this on you it'd probably take you a full ten minutes to bleed out, I can tell you that's not a pleasant way to die. But then..."
And now it really did sound as if she was being held by a block of ice as the grip on her shoulder went taut and Sayoko uttered the words Kallen had been dreading. "A clean death is the last thing a traitor deserves."
"Sayoko, please just listen." She was begging, Kallen was aware, but right now that was all she could do. "I just came to see my mother, I didn't even know you were-"
"Do you know the first thing my Sensei taught me?" The Thirty-Seventh Master of the Shinozaki School of Martial Arts cut in, her borrowed blade nicking just a little bit of her skin. "It wasn't how to kill my enemy, or to disable them. It wasn't even how to properly defend myself."
If Kallen could have turned around she would have seen the complete contempt on the older woman's face as she went on. "The first thing I was ever taught was to follow my lord, for he is my master. There is nothing more important than seeing his dreams brought to fruition, not even my own life."
She does know. Oh Kami-sama, please not like this! Sweat was now starting to form on her brow as Kallen tried to think of a way out of this, not that she could see one. Sayoko had killed an entire regiment of footsoldiers single-handed in the government bureau, one unarmed teenage girl was nothing in comparison. "Look, Sayoko, you don't understand what happe-"
"The only reason I haven't slit your throat," Sayoko cut in again, her voice now just inches away from a snarl, "is out of respect for the woman who clearly isn't aware of the dishonourable coward her daughter has become."
Okay that really was going too far! "Look!" Kallen finally snapped, tugging forward for what good it did her as the assassin at her back simply gripped her tighter. "You don't know what happened that day! We finally learned the kind of person he really is! He betrayed us!"
"Oh?" Sayoko asked back, not sounding like she had taken offence though it was hard to tell, though the unmoving blade would suggest she was still pissed off. "And what exactly did you learn about my master that day? How did he betray you?"
Right, he probably never told her about it. She realised, silently hoping that that was her chance to turn this around. After all, he never told anyone else.
Taking a deep breath, realising that she was about to destroy Sayoko's world by doing this, Kallen began her explanation. "Look, Lelouch has a supernatural power that can make anyone do what he wants. He used it on all of us, we can't even be sure if he didn't use it on his own friends. I know it sounds crazy but it's the truth. It's probably how he..."
The reason she trailed off was because of the effect her explanation was having on Sayoko...but it wasn't the one she had been hoping for. Instead of reeling back in disgust and shock, she had started laughing. It was cold and humourless, which was transferred to her tone as she spoke. "That's your defence? That he used his Geass on you?"
That wasn't what she'd been hoping for. Shouldn't Sayoko have been furious at her loyalty being bought like that? Kallen certainly had been when C.C. had told her about it, how could anyone be alright with such a power? Wait...it suddenly hit Kallen what she hadn't said and what Sayoko had.I never called it Geass.
Which meant... "You already knew about it?"
"But of course."
But that was impossible, Lelouch would have never told anyone such a thing. Not the Lelouch she knew anyway. "...How...?"
"Quite simple, you silly girl." Sayoko snapped at her. "I asked him."
"And he just told you?" She asked back, hardly believing what she was hearing, this didn't match up with the Lelouch who kept everything to himself at all. But if he had told Sayoko what he could do then that meant she knew all the things he'd done with it. "Then why?" She demanded. "Why would you follow him when you know what his Geass does to people? What he might have done to you?"
Her question was met with a snort of derision. "You think something so trivial would stop me from serving my master?"
"Trivial?!" What was wrong with this woman? Didn't she see anything a little bit wrong with this whole thing? "He used his Geass to make us all his pawns!" Kallen was short of shouting now, her feelings about everything Lelouch had said that day coming to the forefront, what he'd claimed, how he'd called their whole war a game, how he'd referred to her as his 'best piece.' "How can you be okay with being used like that?!"
But once again Sayoko had just started laughing in her ear. "How am I alright with it?" She parroted. "Stupid girl. I already know he used it on me."
What? That single statement derailed everything again, bringing Kallen up short. Lelouch had actually admitted to someone that he'd used his Geass on them? "When?" She had to know, what was so unimportant that Sayoko could forgive such an act?
The words Sayoko used in reply were the last she'd expected, yet she still remembered them to this day: "Glad you're still alive, Q-1. Sixteen-hundred hours the day after tomorrow, the observation deck at Tokyo Tower. Come alone."
The message that began it all, the directive that put her and her friends in contact with Zero. But that had to have been a recording...which meant that...but Sayoko sniffed again. "I assume his reasons for using his Geass on me in such a way was to ensure the trail never led back to him or me. Though if I had known the people he was joining were such opportunistic thugs..."
The threat lingered between them for a moment, though Kallen was still reeling from that discovery. But even so... "How can you be alright being used like a tool?"
"It's not being used," Sayoko stated, unmoved by such an assertion, "it's simply a matter of loyalty."*
Although following that declaration she sniffed. "But then what do you people know of such a thing? I had thought you, of all people, might have understood it." Such an accusal hurt, especially considering just how hard Kallen had fought for Zero, and then Lelouch. "Am I wrong? The first chance you had to get rid of him you took, and for what? A paltry land grab? Maybe a promise to be Japanese again from Schneizal? What was the bargain? What was so important that you ungrateful kasu* turned your backs on everything my master gave you?!"
"That's easy for you to say!" Kallen finally snapped, that last insult finally going too far for her to hold anything back anymore and she craned her head back as much as she could so her furious left eye could glare right back into Sayoko's own. "You always knew what you were to him! You were never worried that he might be using you! Never had to question if what he was doing was for our sake or his own desires! You never had to worry if your loyalty was nothing but a dream concocted by some sick bastard!"
Her eruption silenced both of them although, whilst Sayoko remained unmoved, her expression shifted to shock at what she'd just let out. All the worries and fears she'd been holding in ever since that day had just come running out, unable to hold themselves back anymore. Startled and ashamed at her outburst, Kallen turned away, the yelling bringing up feelings she had yet to deal with accompanied by tears.
As for Sayoko though it seemed that was what she'd been waiting for as the hold on her shoulder lessened a bit more. "So it finally comes out." She murmured, though whether that was meant to be heard wasn't clear. "You really are a foolish girl Kallen." She stated again, though this time lacking the calm spite from before and now just sounding downright disappointed. "You're so concerned over the possibility that he used you that you've missed a rather obvious clue that this isn't the case."
Confused, Kallen turned her head round again, the edge of the blade on her neck having backed off somewhat, so she could see the older woman's face. What was she talking about?
Sayoko didn't beat around the bush in her response. "Ask yourself this, Kallen: If Master Lelouch used his Geass on you all to be unquestionably loyal to him, how is it that you were able to betray him?"
That one single question was her entire undoing. She didn't even have to think about it too hard to understand exactly what sort of implications that meant: If Lelouch had commanded the Black Knights to be loyal to him and only him, how could Schneizal have turned them against him? If she was under his power, how did she hold up a gun to his chest and demand if he had or hadn't used his power on her? If she really was under his control...then why did she walk away from him?
There was only one answer to give: She wasn't under his power, had never been under his power, and that meant that...No...no we didn't...we couldn't really have been... But they had. They'd been sucked in by Schneizal hook, line, and sinker, and betrayed their leader. She'd betrayed her leader.
"B-but he s-said..." she stammered out, the last bit of denial and Sayoko's grip the only thing holding her up at this point. "H-he said we were n-nothing but..."
"He lied." Sayoko told her firmly without a trace of doubt in her voice. "If there's one thing my master is good at it's lying. But only ever to protect, never to harm." Finally the blade that had been at Kallen's neck left it completely, though her other hand remained where it was. "Think it over, Kallen. Was there any way out?"
...No. There really hadn't been. Oghi and the others had already been there waiting for them when they arrived. They hadn't told her anything when they told her to get Lelouch, just that they needed to see him...they'd already made up their minds about him before hearing his side of things. No one had stood up for him, no one wanted to hear it...except...Me.
She'd stood between them at first, ready to protect Lelouch from her own friends. Oghi and Minami had been up there, Sugiyama and Tamaki too. The moment she did that, they'd accused her of being under his control, not even waiting for an explanation. I would have gone with him...and they would have killed me. Her own friends would have shot her, people she'd known since she was a little girl. And then...Lelouch.
He had crushed her with his words, smiling and laughing all the way...and in doing so he'd saved her life. Then all the things he said, everything about being nothing but a piece in his game...that was all a lie?
"I see you're finally beginning to understand..." Sayoko's voice was the trigger and without warning the grip on her shoulder vanished. Like a puppet that had lost its strings, Kallen collapsed to her knees on the floor the full weight of everything she'd realised hitting her like a Sutherland's tonfa. The older of the two just regarded her silently before sighing to herself and telling her, "Kallen, you serve yourself no purpose asking yourself what you mean to my master. Instead, maybe you should be asking yourself what my master means to you and why your betrayal of him offends you so much."
It seemed that was her way of declaring the conversation over as a moment later Kallen heard the rustle of bedsheets behind her. Getting up on shaky legs she turned around to see that Sayoko had returned to her bed, sitting up with a pleasant smile on her face and flipping through a small magazine. It was as if the last ten minutes had never happened.
She was unable to ask what the hell she was playing at as at that moment the door the ward slid open and Ayano returned with an intern on her arm, the same pleasant smile on her face as when she left. When she saw the other two by the bed she once again mistook their silence for a lull in conversation and chuckled. "Run out of things to gossip about already, have we?"
Still mute over everything, Kallen was saved by Sayoko who just offered her a nice little grin. "What can I say, Ayano? Your daughter has a lot of things on her mind that I think she was just glad to get off her chest."
"Oh really?" That sly tone did not belong on her mother's voice. "Boy trouble, is it?"
"Something along those lines." Sayoko replied, equally sly, sending a knowing smirk Kallen's way.
"I see." Ayano simply said in response to that, not relenting her own merciless little grin.
How the hell did this happen?! Kallen's face was going redder than her hair. Hadn't Sayoko just been threatening to kill her a moment ago? How the hell had it turned into interrogating her on her love life? And what the hell was her mother doing playing along with her?! She's corrupted her! My own mother!
"Okay!" She said, a bit too loudly, which just made the older women chuckle, "Well it's nice to see you're doing okay, Mum. I'll be by soon to check on you!" And maybe to get her out of here, away from the clearly evil Sayoko Shinozaki. Giving her mother a quick kiss and a last farewell to Sayoko she raced out of there as quickly as possible.
It was probably a good thing she didn't stick around though, that would've made for an awkward conversation when the silent male patient who'd been unconscious all the way through her and Sayoko's little showdown finally chose that moment to wake up and cast crazed eyes around, immediately demanding. "Where am I?!"
Rome, Italy
It was amazing how ironic history could be. Once upon a time this city had been the heart of the greatest empire the world had ever known, at its peak stretching from Portugal all the way to North Africa and parts of the Middle East. A few years before it reached that point its current leader, Julius Caesar, had laid eyes on a distant little island country that the maps of the era had labelled Britannia. And naturally being an emperor who came, saw, and conquered, he decided he wanted this little nation for himself. After all, what could one island, populated by backwards barbarians, do against the mighty Roman Empire?
The answer, as it turned out, was 'quite a bit.' Instead of simply rolling over like all the other nations that had come before it, all those warring little tribes had come together and forged themselves into a powerful fighting force strong enough to push back against, and eventually force out, the legions of Rome. The best trained military of its era was defeated by a bunch of fire worshippers! It was the greatest humiliation of Caesar's life.
Fast forward the clock two thousand years later and the roles had been completely reversed. Now it was Rome that faced invasion from a mighty outside force. What had once been a barbaric horde now held the record as the largest empire the world had ever seen, outdoing the Roman Empire many times over. And that was before the new emperor came to power.
The city today served a number of roles: it was a refugee camp for many European citizens whose homes had been lost during the last war, though the promise from Emperor Lelouch that those who wished to live in peace would be left alone had thinned those numbers as of late and those who were left were either extremists or really pissed off with their government; as a member nation of the EU it was also a military hub where soldiers and officers ran to and fro in anticipation of Britannia's attack. And additionally, it had lately become the home base for the insurgent force that its fingers in many pies around the world, Peace Mark.
"Dian!" One such member of this organisation suddenly called out to his Chinese comrade, "Hurry up! We need to get these crates moved onto the ships or Spain'll never stay in EU hands." The young man who was talking was little more than a teenager with blonde hair and striking green eyes, holding one of the aforementioned crates of supplies in his hands. When the person he was shouting at didn't respond he gave the person a sharp kick.
"Ow!" Zi Dian, as he was called, rubbed his arm and straightened the glasses on his face that had gone crooked thanks to that unwarranted assault on his person. "Hey c'mon Oz, that hurt! Besides," he snorted in aggravation as he sat himself back down, "it's hardly like it matters any more."
"What?!" The aforementioned 'Oz' snapped at his lazy comrade, "Are you kidding? Have you forgotten that we're going to Spain to help the insurgents there?" As a long standing member of Peace Mark, Orpheus Zevon - former Britannian noble - had been part of any number of resistance groups against the empire and he took his job seriously. So when one of his people said something wasn't worth it he took exception. "What are you even on about?"
Dian observed his friend for a moment before sighing again and telling him the bad news. "We just got word from command. The Britannians blockaded every entrance to Spain by sea last night and the border with France is now being watched." His news had the exact effect he feared it would on Orpheus as he observed the colour drain from the youth's face. "As far as Command is concerned, Spain is a lost cause. We're now to focus on the home front."
And just as he'd expected, Orpheus's top blew off at their new orders. "What?! They just want us to abandon the people in Spain to those elitist bastards?! Those sons-of-!"
"OZ!" Dian shouted, again adjusting his glasses from his sharp head movement, waiting for silence before he went on in a calmer tone. "I understand your feelings, but Britannia's fleets are far beyond anything our ships can match. If it was just seafaring vessels we'd have a chance but ever since those airships came into the game it's become a whole new style of warfare that we just can't repel." And the bad news kept on coming as he laid out the next bit he'd heard from the top ranks. "Even worse, reports are coming in that our people in France are either retreating or have been completely obliterated."
"What?" Oz asked, confused at this newest bit of intel. "I thought we had that in the bag. I know we lost out at Paris but with all our forces elsewhere...?"
"They were destroyed." Dian said, again gravely. "By new model Knightmare Frames. After we lost Paris, Emperor Lelouch sent his forces out into France to reinforce the Britannian positions. And virtually all the soldiers who survived report the same thing: they were fighting pilots who claim to be the new Knights of the Round."
"What?!" Oz asked yet again, "I thought they only had one! How many are there now?"
"At least four." Dian replied tersely, his mind rapidly going over the reports he'd gotten. "The forces at Metz were destroyed by Lord Bishop; the battalion sent to take the Netherlands was completely wiped out, only one team survived and even then it looks like they were allowed to escape; Luneville's survivors can only talk about either the fires of hell raining down on them or some mad man laughing in their ears; and as for the Alexander unit that was retreating through the forest at Saint Dié des Vosges," here he actually shuddered at what he remembered reading "all the single pilot that survived could babble about was Death itself hunting them all down."
"In comparison," he went on to say, "all we have is the Alexanders that the EU gave us and some of the machines Rakshata made for us before she went to Japan." Here he shook his head. "If this was only four months ago I'd say that would be all we'd need but now..." He just sighed again in defeat.
"Well..." Oz started in that tone that told Dian whatever he was about to say was something he was going to hate. "I can't do much on my own with just the Byakuen...but if we launched a strike on-"
"NO Oz!" The older of the two immediately snapped, knowing exactly where this was going. "We have spoken about this a thousand and one times! On no account will we attack Great Britain!" How many times did he have to force it down this kid's throat that such a move was clearly suicide? It didn't matter the numbers they sent, big or small, Britain - and island nations in general - had the advantage in that they were cut off from the continent. To keep any battle going there they would need supply routes established to keep the soldiers going. Without those all the defenders had to do was outlast them. Add on the fact that as soon as it had been retaken the Britannians had reinforced the defences along the shore in such a way that they would never lose it again and Britain was now the ultimate natural floating fortress.
Sighing at having this argument again, Dian laid tired eyes on his young comrade. "Look, Oz, you're a good tactician, no one's denying that. But even if, by some miracle, you took Britain, that wouldn't get rid of the fleet."
"I know, I know!" Oz growled, clearly not done trying to convince him. "But with that thing the EU has! If we launched our machines from the stratosphere we'd be able to make it!"
As if Britannia isn't just waiting for them to try that. Dian thought privately, there was no way that they hadn't been looking for a way to neutralise the rocket re-entry tactic. Out loud he just said, "Can or can't, it's not up to us to decide what to do." It was disappointing to say it like that but it was the truth, even if it was a sad truth.
Sighing again at the mulish look on the kid's face he decided the best thing to do would be to redirect his focus. "Look, you should check on our new recruits. At the very least they're potential members for your team."
His distraction worked going by the way Oz suddenly perked up in remembrance at those two new kids they'd picked up a little while ago. Sighing at that he nodded, "Yeah, I probably should. It's about the only thing I can do these days." And with that the lad stalked off towards the barracks.
Dian watched him go for a bit before shaking his head ruefully and sitting back down. He's a good kid but dang if he needs to cool down.
Still it was pretty hard to imagine that the Brits had come all this way over the last two millenniums, ready to conquer the nation that had failed to conquer them so long ago. Maybe we'll get lucky...but he just snorted. Yeah, like we'll get that after Paris. Bonaparte must be rolling in his grave right about now.
Yep, history was a really ironic thing.
Orpheus Zevon was still in a bad mood when he found the people he was looking for in the barracks, the two newcomers who had been hoping for a crack at Britannia as much as he had: a boy with a slender figure, messy silver hair and blue eyes, and a young girl probably only about sixteen years old with long blonde hair and red eyes.
"Hey guys!" He called out to his new friends who looked up at him eagerly, no doubt hoping to hear the order to move out. They were not going to like what he had to say. "You might as well put all your gear down. The mission in Spain's cancelled."
"What?" The girl asked, disbelieving, "Why? I thought we were going to help the people in Madrid."
"Yeah," the boy complained, "and we were dragging all this stuff for an hour. You're saying that was all for nothing?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying Rai." Oz muttered, not liking that he had to tell them this any more than he had been receiving it. "High Command has decided it's pointless. Apparently the fact that Britannia is breathing down their own necks is more important than the people they're supposed to protect!"
His words were enough for all three of them as the other two merely scowled at his summary. After a moment the girl spoke up again. "You know Oz, if they're coming this way we'd better be prepared. No way that brat's going to just ignore us."
"I know Alice." He replied, mildly amused at the idea of her calling a boy at least two years older than her 'brat.' "He's made it pretty clear that underestimating him is a bad idea. Maybe..." he almost hated bringing up his next suggestion to this particular pair as he had delivering the news of their pointless preparations, "maybe we should ask the Black Knights for help."
He immediately winced at the dark looks Rai and Alice both sent his way at that. "Sorry guys, but we don't have a lot of options."
The two just continued to glare at him for a moment before Rai shook his head, "I just can't Oz...it still hurts too much." He claimed, placing a hand over his heart. "When I hear that name, all I think about is the Directorate."
And there was the rub. Both Rai and Alice were former members of the Geass Directorate headed by the mysterious being known as V.V. They were lucky to be out on assignment when the Black Knights came calling and completely destroyed it. Everything had been ruined and every member of the Directorate, many who had been their friends, had been slaughtered. Even Rolo was gone.
For Rai it had been a complete tragedy...for Alice it had been something far worse as she virtually snarled her objection. "Monsters! Every last one of them! Them and their Zero! Good riddance to him!" The Directorate had been more than just her home, it had been her life. Without it she had nothing...except a burning hatred that couldn't be quelled.
To some level Oz could relate, having been raised by the Directorate as well, although unlike the other two he had fled it with his childhood love Euliya. He couldn't say he liked the place or any of his memories of it, but it was the lifeline these two had been searching for and it had served him well to foster that connection so far.
Even if it meant having to accept some things about the Directorate he absolutely loathed. "Well then why not use your Geass, Rai?" He asked him, "Your power of Absolute Obedience could get Command to do whatever we want."
But Rai just shook his head. "Oz, you know my Geass only works on people near me and we have no idea where High Command is right now." He reminded him, "And besides, you know the health problems that thing causes me."
Wasn't that the truth? Whilst Rai's Geass could reach anyone who heard him he couldn't widen the range through radios or speakers, people had to hear his voice from his mouth. It was a really limited power...if only it worked by sight. As for Alice, her Geass was only really useful in combat so that was out too.
Dammit, setbacks at every turn and the longer we waste the more time Britannia has to conquer Spain! Oz was about to make another suggestion when he was cut off by his phone vibrating in his pocket. As it was only meant to be used for the most serious of conversations he immediately accepted the call, unsurprised to hear Dian on the other end. "What is it?"
"She's here."
That was the extent of the message, but it was enough for Oz to understand the importance of the call. "Roger that." He replied and immediately hung up, turning his attention back to the pair. "I have to take care of some things. You two go relax for a while. We'll figure this out."
The two glanced at each other before shrugging and nodded at him, dropping their gear and heading back to their bunks.
This had better be worth it. Oz thought to himself as he left the barracks...before immediately chastising himself for thinking such a thing. If the information was so important that She had to come in person then it was more than worth it: it was downright crucial.
When he arrived at the room that Peace Mark had taken as their main conference centre, Oz was greeted by nothing but stale air. Still, having had to deal with this person on more than a couple of occasions he was sure she'd show up in the most aggravating way possible. He was proven right when a pair of hands slipped over his face, covering up his eyes.
"Count to one, Ozzy." A playfully alluring female voice whispered in his ear. "Guess who I am."
Instead of doing any of that, he just shoved her hands off his face and turned around to face the voluptuous young woman with long white hair and grey eyes, who pouted at him. "You're no fun."
"It's not supposed to be fun." Oz replied tersely. "Now what are you doing here, X? We haven't heard a word from you for a month."
"Business before everything, nothing after, as usual." Miss X muttered, playfully rolling her eyes at him, before dropping the flirtatious attitude and becoming serious. "Tell me, Oz, do you know anything about something called a 'Thought Elevator?'"
The name didn't ring a bell, "Never heard of it." Oz told her bluntly. "What is it, some kind of weapon?"
"Maybe," she shrugged. "It's all very vague. I came across mention of it from one of my EU contacts."
The EU? So they had some kind of secret device? If that's the case, why haven't they used it yet?! He wanted to demand, but knew better than to think Miss X would simply tell him that. So instead he asked a more worthwhile question. "Where did you hear this?"
"In Brussels." She readily told him, "One of the soldiers there heard that Wizard guy talking with Smilas about it."
Wizard? She didn't know it but she'd said the magic word, now Oz was not only interested in this thing but also suspicious. He had never liked Wizard, the masked bastard always showed up at the worst possible times to screw up his work. And even if he had saved his life in the past that didn't change the bad feeling Oz got whenever he was around. Huh, seems I have another thing in common with those two. He thought to himself wryly. There's a man in a mask who likes to make my life hell as well. Only difference is mine is still alive.
Aside from that though, if this thing was of interest to Wizard then it was of interest to Oz. But that couldn't be all that Miss X was here to tell him. "Anything else?" He probed.
"Yes, I don't know what it is exactly, but it might be even more important than that elevator." And now he saw something truly rare when it came to dealing with this woman: Miss X appeared unnerved. "There's information suggesting that Britannia is secretly building some new kind of weapon of mass destruction."
That was enough to get alarm bells ringing in Oz's mind. He'd heard of the kind of destruction of Britannia's newest weapon in Japan, over twenty five million dead, friend and foe alike. And now they were making something else? Guess even the 'White Emperor' has a black side. Oz thought spitefully, before urgently pressing on. "What do you know?"
But to his ever growing concern, Miss X sighed. "Far less that I'd like. The damn project is under all kinds of security programs a firewalls. Whatever it is they don't want it getting out. The only thing I got was it's name, and it's not a cuddly little thing like 'Project Freyja.' This one's titled Project Nemesis."
Ominous. He couldn't help thinking to himself, clearly Emperor Lelouch liked his theatrics. Then again he piloted a Knightmare that could destroy entire armies at a time so maybe that shouldn't surprise him. But if Miss X couldn't get in then there was no point pursuing it right now.
"All right, then for now focus your efforts of this thought elevator thing." He decided after a moment, there was no way that thing was unimportant and it was also unlikely that Wizard would ever share the knowledge of why it was so. Therefore they'd have to use espionage.
His orders delivered, Oz moved to take his leave but was halted when Miss X embraced him from behind. "Oh come on Ozzy!" She whined petulantly, hugging him tightly and rubbing against his back. "I've been gone all this time, finding all these juicy secrets for you, and I don't even get a reward?"
Stifling a long suffering groan, Oz quietly accepted his fate. He'd learned long ago that trying to argue with this woman was like getting a rock to bleed. "Fine, fine." He muttered and took out his wallet, chucking some euro bills at her which she snatched out of the air. "Now go buy yourself your ice cream. I have actual work to do."
And without further ado he fled the room before Miss X could grab him again. Sometimes he wondered if he'd be better off without that insane woman and her odd cravings.
Maybe that was why Lelouch had taken so much of the world already: he didn't have a damn succubus breathing down his neck!
France, Arras airspace, Grandberry
Anticipation was rife in the minds of the Glinda Knights as their Caerleon-class airship headed out for Brussels. According to Princess Marrybell, Emperor Lelouch had finally called upon them with a special mission that only they could hope to accomplish. There was some concern over the absence of General Schwarzer, but the consensus was that so long as they had their princess there was nothing to worry about. Heck she didn't even seem very concerned with the situation at hand if her lazy smile was anything to go by.
Still, the crew knew that any battle could be their last so many of them were tying up loose ends. One in particular, Leonhardt Steiner, was currently using the vid-phone in his commanding officer's quarters to call a friend of his fiancée, both of whom were former members of the late Luciano Bradley's Wild Valkyrie squad that had been utterly destroyed during the second Battle of Tokyo.
"How is she?" He asked for the umpteenth time.
On the screen, the blonde haired girl just rolled her eyes, "As I said the last time you asked, Leo, still out cold." She told him in a tired voice, though she was unable to keep her own concern out of her voice. "She was hit the hardest by that red monster."
"Hmm." Was all the response he gave her, his own feelings about the situation saying enough. He'd begged Marika not to join up with Bradley, if she wanted to be in the military fine, he could respect that - hell he admired her for it - but not with that damned vampire who killed as many allies as he did enemies! But ever since the death of her brother she'd been insistent in doing more for the empire. Not that he was complaining, Leonhardt had never liked Kewell Soresi all that much - for him to be killed by an 'Eleven' of all things was poetic justice as far as he was concerned - but for Marika it just sparked off some ridiculous idea that she had to atone for her brother's idiocy.
It had been the source of many an argument between them, but right now the only thing he cared about was that she was okay. Although the never ending phone calls to the other side of the world was starting to grate on the rest of the crew, no matter how sweet it was.
Finally sighing, Leonhardt nodded at Liliana, "Okay, I'll phone back later."
"And I'll say the exact same thing." She replied wryly. "She'll wake up Leo, give her some credit."
He just nodded again and ended the call, hanging up the phone and slumping back on the chair he was sitting in, his friends watching him with mixed levels of sympathy, pity and annoyance. His best friend - and now the only other guy on their team with Johann's disappearance - Tink Lockhart broke the silence with an understanding line. "You know, Leo, it's good of you to worry about you future wife, but Lili's right about this."
"I'm with Tink on that." Sokkia Sherpa readily agreed, "Leo, she was fighting against the Red Lotus and survived. Give her time to recuperate and she'll be back on her feet in no time."
"I know, I know," Leonhardt replied testily, his own feelings on the situation bubbling underneath the surface, "it's just that...argh!"
He let out a frustrated growl and slouched forward, uncaring that Princess Marrybell was sat directly across from him, her Knight of Honour giving him quite the stink eye. He just felt so powerless! Marika was a world away fighting for her life and now he was headed into battle himself when he should be at her side!
Still, knowing her, she would probably be more angry with him than understanding if he told her he'd abandoned his post to look after her rather than doing his duty to Britannia. Stubborn girl wouldn't accept help from anyone - that's why I love her, though. Letting out one final sigh he pushed himself up, shook off his melancholy face (Marika would've kicked his ass for that as well) and stood from his chair.
"Never mind." He stated forcefully, he'd made the call and gotten the same news, that's all there was to it. "Right now we have a mission from our Emperor. That's where my head should be at."
Across from him, Princess Marrybell smiled in approval, "A fine idea indeed." She stated before turning to her maid at her left hand. "Toto, what's our status?"
"En route to the border with Belgium where an air fleet is waiting for us." Her loyal helpmate answered dutifully, "Once we link up with them we'll have the numbers to push into their capital whilst His Majesty cuts through the Netherlands with his sky fleet straight to Germany."
"So in other words we're right on schedule," the Princess summed up before standing from her desk, causing all her knights to stand to attention. "Listen well now, my knights: Our primary mission is two-fold; One, the ousting of the European occupying forces in Brussels, thus reclaiming Belgium as a Britannian territory; Two, the capture or elimination of this man."
She tapped her fingers on a few buttons on her desk and a screen lit up behind her, showing the image of their target: A man in a mask, dressed even more extravagantly than their old enemy Zero; this was the man Emperor Lelouch was so worried about?
"This individual goes by the name 'Wizard." Marrybell told them all. "He is the commanding officer of all EU forces in Belgium and if intel is to be believed a close confidant of Gene Smilas. If he is removed from the war, the EU will lose a powerful commander and Smilas may be forced to face us himself instead of hiding away, wherever he is. But more immediately, his removal will cripple the EU forces in Brussels allowing the first half of our mission to go much more smoothly." Another tap on the desk deactivated the screen and the Princess returned her attention to her knights, "Are there any questions?"
Actually there was one on Leonhardt's mind and he took this chance to raise it. "Just one, Your Highness. Forgive me but, why are we being given this mission?" He asked her, letting his confusion out. "Not to paint them in a bad light but isn't assassination OSI's job? Why send us?"
His question raised a small murmur of agreement from the others, though it was silenced by a raising of the Princess's hand. "I asked the same thing of His Majesty when I was given this assignment." She revealed, "You're right, usually OSI would be the ones to deal with this, however if you would look again at the information on Wizard..."
They did so, this time from their small portable tablets, and quickly scanned through the data. To Leonhardt it didn't look like anything was missing: a name, some idea of his height, and a few mugshots from satellites in orbit - bit of a clown from the looks of him. When they looked up at her in askance, she explained. "That dossier was put together just last night with all that we know of him."
Wait seriously? He looked at it again and this time the gaps in the knowledge came through. 'Wizard' was an alias, not a name; the height was ranged, so likely based on guesswork; the mugshots themselves spoke for how little coverage they had on him; and for a dossier there was little in the way of listing what this man was capable of, just 'suspected terrorist in collusion with European forces.' That wasn't nearly a satisfactory description of their target, near shameful work on the part of their intelligence network.
Seeing that he and the others realised her point, Princess Marrybell continued. "This was all that CIA and OSI were able to gather together between them, which has His Majesty seriously concerned. Such avoidance shouldn't be possible...unless..."
She let the statement linger for a moment before the gathered knights suddenly let out disbelieving gasps. "Highness, you can't be serious!" Sokkia exclaimed.
"I am dead serious." She rebutted, her sharp frown saying it all. "It's very possible that this man was born a Britannian of high status. High enough to know the workings of our intelligence bureaus and how to avoid them." Her gaze fixed back on Leonhardt who had gone slightly pale. "Do you understand now why it is us who must do this, Sir Steiner?"
The question almost sailed over his head as he tried to come to grips with what he had been told. One of their own had turned traitor. This wasn't like the Breisgaus whose daughter was now their enemy, she had grown up not knowing different. This man, if what His Majesty and clearly Her Highness believed was true, had been a member of their society for years. What could possibly have caused such a reversal of loyalty?
It doesn't matter the reason. A voice spoke up in his head, angered at the notion of a sworn sword turning his back on his duty. He abandoned his people. He's a traitor. And if there's one thing His Majesty has kept the same from the old regime, it's how we deal with traitors.
That cold thought crystallised his resolve and he gave his Princess a sharp salute. "Yes, Your Highness." He stated crisply, "I have no objection to seeing this despicable man brought to justice."
The Princess regarded him for a second, her hard stare remaining for a moment longer, before it softened and she gave him a smile. "Very good then. Now I'd better let the rest of the crew know what's going on." So saying, she flicked on the on board speaker system and spoke into a mike on her desk. "Now hear this, crewmen, we are now underway to fulfil a mission of dire need to His Majesty. That mission is the retaking of Belgium through Brussels."
As expected she didn't mention the other part of their mission, instead going straight on to the bolstering part of the speech. "It is expected to be a harsh fight, the EU's presence in the east is already failing so they won't give up easy, however I rate each and everyone of you good soldiers worth ten of their own bogged down amateurs! You are amongst the finest our empire has ever produced and a credit to His Majesty!"
"So we shall carry out this mission, we shall succeed, and we shall bring peace back to this world!" She declared, her voice full of determination and forcing the Glinda Knights to stand even straighter, pride filling their chests to be in service to such a grand woman. "Now let us begin! For Britannia and Emperor Lelouch!"
Her final declaration was echoed throughout the ship with resounding cheers of "All Hail Britannia! All Hail Lelouch!" Which just made her knights smile all the more.
"And All Hail his bride to be! Marrybell vi Brit-!" That was as far as she got though before Oldrin Zevon at her side suddenly whapped her on the head with a rolled up magazine. "Ow! Oz! What was that for?!"
But Zevon just glared at her before whacking her again, "Bad Marry! What did I tell you?! Incest is wrong!"
The rest of the Glinda Knights just stared at the pair of them, their ramrod stances giving way to amused snorts as time went by. Yes, their Princess was tough but damn if she wasn't a perverted little thing. It made them glad they had Oldrin as her morality pet or Leonhardt suspected their ranks would be filled with far more women than was already present.
That didn't stop the Princess from trying however as she dodged another attack from her Knight of Honour. "But Oz! We're only half-siblings! It's not like that would be anything new for- ow!"
Oz got in another hit, this one landing front and centre on her forehead. "No! Bad Marry! Bad! No incest!"
"But-" She tried one last time but Oldrin just sent her a glare, holding a lifetime and friendship of having to deal with this, that immediately had her rethinking her words if she wanted to live long enough to reach Belgium.
Special Administrated Zone of Japan, Tokyo Crater, Ikaruga
After having some time to cool down after the absolutely unfair tag teaming from her mother and Sayoko, Kallen found herself feeling more than a little bit antsy about returning to the Ikaruga, a place where people shot first and refused to ask questions later. She made an immediate point of ignoring Oghi and Minami when they tried to ask her how her mother had been. If they wanted to know then they could get a damn pass of their own and visit her themselves...of course that would mean coming face-to-face with a pissed off assassin, but oh well.
No, that's too cruel, she reconsidered after a moment of soul searching, what's the point of revenge if I can't stomp on them in my Guren first?
But alas, some part of her - a small, insignificant, never-going-to-come-to-the-forefront-ever-again part - still regarded them as friends so at the very least she ought to not kill them where they stood. She was still a Black Knight, even if she really didn't feel it anymore, so at the very least she ought to strive for the aims of justice and fairness that Lelouch had taught her to strive for.
So she got in the lift, still ignoring the two Benedicts, and rode it all the way back up to the bridge where Xingke and, a bit more surprisingly, Kaguya were discussing a matter between them. When they saw the lift doors open however, they paused in their talk and the young chairwoman turned to address her.
"Captain Kozuki." She greeted happily, "I trust everything went alright in the Britannian settlement?"
As it was coming from someone who actually had no part in the Black Knights' coup, Kallen allowed herself to smile and replied politely in kind. "Better than alright." She told her gratefully, "I found my mother. She's still recovering but she's alive and well, and that's all I could've hoped for."
The young lady smiled, genuinely glad for her friend before continuing. "That is wonderful news indeed, Captain. Some good news for once, regardless of the scope, is a welcome change."
"Hmm..." For a moment, Kallen debated about telling her and Xingke that she'd also found Sayoko alive as well but at the last moment she decided against it, she never actually told her which of the core group had betrayed Lelouch. If Kaguya went, even as a diplomat, Sayoko was likely to hold her hostage...and maybe not with something blunt this time but an actual scalpel. As for Xingke, he was a soldier; Sayoko would have no misgivings about killing him the first chance she got. And considering the fact that Kallen had only just survived her encounter...it was probably best to keep that to herself.
For now though she had to focus on the present, namely the unspoken bad news that Kaguya had hinted at. "Is something wrong?" She asked them both.
"Potentially." Xingke admitted grimly, probably the subject they had been talking about before her arrival interrupted them. "There seems to be some upheaval in Russia that could spill out into the UFN if left unchecked. We want you to go to Kazakhstan to check it out."
Kazakhstan? Talk about a far away mission...but quite frankly anything would be worth it to get away from these backstabbers - no offence intended to Kaguya and Xingke - still she had to ask. "Am I going alone?"
"Of course not!" Kaguya stated, sounded offended at the idea of leaving her without backup...not that she needed it really with her new Guren but it was the thought that counted. "We'll be sending Tamaki with you." Then again...
Still it wasn't as if the idiot was a threat, at the very worst he'd trip over an invisible pebble and cause the auto-eject on his Akatsuki to go off. And besides, of the lot, he'd seemed the most torn up about Lelouch even if he had gone through with it in the end. Still she'd be keeping an eye on him.
Nodding she saluted and left the bridge without a word.
If she was honest with herself, the solitude this mission provided would also help her with another issue that had popped up thanks to Sayoko. Her last words to her...
What does Lelouch mean to me?
Once upon a time that answer had been obvious: He was a conspicuous jerk that held himself above everybody and had no dreams of his own except to live a comfy life under Britannia's boot; in short, everything Zero wasn't. But then Suzaku had to go and make it complicated by unmasking him to reveal Lelouch and Zero were one and the same. For months she'd tried to reconcile the two, how could Lelouch be the man in the mask who she idolized? It just hadn't made sense.
When she and C.C. had recovered him and set off the second rebellion she thought she'd got it figured out: Lelouch was a cold, secretive man who didn't let anyone close, either because he trusted nobody or because they weren't supposed to be close. And yet there had been moments, just short moments, when something else had peeked through; a kind, sensitive young man who genuinely seemed to care about the people around him.
But then Schneizal came and had to ruin it all, forcing him to state that they were all a bunch of idiots for letting him get away with his 'game' for so long. At that moment she'd felt her heart break, that all she had been was just his tool for his pleasure was the worst possible conclusion she could have come to. But now Sayoko said he did it to save her?
Lelouch, I can't figure you out. Kallen thought to herself as she made her way to the hangar. I want to believe in you, I really do. But I also want to believe that what we're doing, even if you're not at the helm anymore, is the right thing. But if it's not... She felt a shiver at the idea that the Black Knights were going down the wrong path, and that she might have played a hand in guiding them down it truly turned her stomach.
If we're not what we're supposed to be Lelouch. She thought to herself as she finished changing into her pilot suit and headed out to the bay where her Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. was waiting for her. If we're no longer knights for justice, then please come back.
"Kallen Kozuki, Guren S.E.I.T.E.N., now launching!"
Please Lelouch, come back and save me one last time.
*Message from the co-author: kasu literally translates as 'dregs.' It seemed appropriate for people who betray their leaders for some half-baked promise. I didn't use the more common kuso because that's when you're cursing out loud ('shit! I stubbed my toe!'). To call someone a kasu is to call them dregs of society. In other words, 'little shits.'
'The more you know...'
*Also, Sayoko's line is the same as Jeremiah's in the dub, word for word. Why? Because dammit, those two would make very loyal babies!
