Aria Neuf
The Sicilian Defense
"Alexander, welcome."
Earl Elend Stadtfeld offered his hand to the Duke as the younger man took it.
"It's good to see you, Elend. I apologize for being so tardy, I hope you didn't wait on dinner for me."
"Of course not," he scoffed smiling, "I know how you hate reheated food.
"Well then, straight to business," the Duke asked.
"I knew you would say that," the Earl, "let's retire to the study."
"Lead the way."
The Earl nodded as he led both the Duke and his majordomo further into the estate even as he hid his nervousness at the visit.
Even though he was now in his forties, he had the genetic luck that kept him quite healthy and youthful, he still looked his thirties, his short red hair was untouched and he had the build of a prizefighter. Combined with a sharp mind and a wit, he was the model Britannian.
Yet maybe his one fault was that his heart belonged to an Eleven and he had betrayed that heart for political convenience.
It was probably one of the worst mistakes he had ever made in his life. He caved into the pressure from his family and had forsaken Rain to marry the woman who his family had selected. It didn't matter that there wasn't any love, nor did it matter they had children. He had relented.
It was cowardice, he recognized now, he didn't want to give up what he had.
The worst part of it was that Rain hadn't even protested, she never pressed him for marriage, she had simply accepted it when he asked to adopt Naoto and Kallen in order to have heirs.
He couldn't even bring himself to look into her eyes anymore, especially after she had insisted, the only time she really had, to at least stay with Kallen and Naoto as a maid.
So he had buried himself into his work as a troubleshooter for various Britannian businesses, rarely ever returning home and only for a short time only to go to his next job. He had not been there when Naoto died and he hadn't been there when Rain had been arrested for being a Refrain user.
Instead he had buried himself in his work, working even more feverishly. Because as he had buried himself in his work, his politics had morphed from a moderate stance to reforming the system to prevent things like this from ever happening again
And it was during this time he was approached by an organization that went by the name of the Gestalt.
"How is your daughter doing," the Duke asked, causing the Earl's mind to momentarily freeze, "Kallen wasn't it?"
Does he know, he thought urgently, how does he know?!
"She's doing fine, she's right now staying over at the Ashford Academy with friends."
"That's funny, I was just there and I don't recall seeing her."
"She's staying at the girl's dorms," he responded the Earl stopping at the door for a moment, flashing a smile as he opened it and led the Duke inside the ornate study, walking over to the bar and pouring a pair of snifters of brandy before handing one to the Duke who was sitting in a leather chair before he took his seat.
"This is good," the Duke noted after taking a sip of it.
"I'm glad you approve," the Earl responded even as he hid his nervousness about the younger man before him.
He had been in the Gestalt since just after the Second Pacific War, so he had gotten to know the Duke over the years in Reformist circles and while he had become comfortable with the younger man, he knew beneath the mask he put up that made him so popular and charismatic was an exceptionally ruthless and calculating individual who schemed with the best.
"So what brings you here Alexander, it's not often you make a long-distance trip to meet with anyone."
"A few things actually," the Duke said, he tilted his head to look behind him to his Majordomo, who merely nodded and stepped outside the room
Once that was done, the Duke placed a small device down on the arm of the chair before tapping it, a small squeal sounding, he then took another sip of the brandy before swirling it contemplatively in his hand.
"We have a problem."
"Oh?"
The Dukes eyes snapped to him from the brandy, those eyes piercing him as he could almost taste the irritation radiating off him.
"I'm a fair man, Elend. I listened to my father when he told me I needed to allow all of you to operate as independently as possible against my better judgment. So imagine how disappointed I was to discover that two of my subordinates decided to either deceive or outright lie to my face."
"My Lord, I-"
"Here you are telling me your daughter is fine and at the Ashford Academy. Would you then explain to me why there is a detain-or-kill order for Kallen Kozuki, who just so happens to be the Black Knights ace pilot? Imagine my further surprise when I start digging further and I discover not only that, but a transfer order for one Rain Kozuki to a private rehab and detention facility in Yokohama. If I start digging further will I find you have also been funding the Black Knights?"
"What would you have me do," the Earl exploded, "you're sitting there casting stones at my family when you have none yourself. I've spent the last ten years working for your father and now you at the cost of my family. My son is dead, the woman I love is a drug addict, and my daughter is a rebel. How would you react?"
"I wouldn't put the Gestalt at risk," the Duke shot back, cooly, "all it takes is one screw-up and we're on the radar. I'm sorry I have to come down on you like this, but if you had approached me, I would have helped. No one is to go it alone, that is the pledge we all made. If Ruben Ashford had let us know he was hiding the Eleventh Prince, we could have used it and you would have been able to support your daughter without this deception."
The Duke sighed running a hand through his hair.
"I want you to promise you won't pull anymore stunts like this without conferring with me."
"I cannot guarantee you anything, Alexander, but I will do my best."
"That's all I ask for. Now, moving to business."
He took another sip.
"I want you to run Kururugi's barony."
The Earl sat there shocked for a moment. Was he really being asked to support the man who was literally his daughter's nemesis?
"I know it's awkward to ask you this considering the...personal situation between the Baron and your daughter. However, the success of the Baron's charge will further our agenda by years. If we can prove how profitable it is to integrate Numbers fully into the economy as something better than slave labor…"
"I see your point. I'll do it because it's the right thing," he finally said, "not for the Baron or for the Gestalt. This will probably require almost all the markers I've accrued over the years. There is one request I have though."
"Go on..."
"If you encounter my daughter out there, you will do everything you can to ensure her safety and return her to me."
"I'll do my best. Your daughter is quite skilled as a KMF pilot."
The Earl nodded at the compliment.
"Now then, there is one final issue that needs to be dealt with. Your wife."
"What about her?"
"The fact that she's sniffing Project Justitia."
He paled at that statement. Project Justitia, of all the things his greedy wife could be digging in...
"Alexander, I didn't know..."
He held up a hand to stop him.
"I know you didn't. The woman is the kind that would sell her children for a shilling. No, I know she did this behind your back. But that leaves dealing with her..."
Just then the door opened.
"Elend, why are you in this dusty-"
Whatever words she was going to say died in her throat, her eyes becoming wide as saucers as the Duke turned to look at her.
"Lady Stadtfeld. Welcome. You're just the person I wanted to talk to."
"You, you stay away from me," she stated pointing a finger at the Duke, backing up until she suddenly bumped into Keith Jenkins who seemed to materialize out of nowhere as the door shut. His hand just lightly brushed along her exposed neck for a moment.
"What did you-"
And then all of a sudden her eyes rolled up into her head as she was down on the ground, her body twitching.
"Oh dear, I do believe she is having a stroke," the Duke observed, no hint of humor in his tone, "must be all that has gone on in the last couple days has gotten to her,"
He shrugged as he looked to the Earl who was watching with a mixture of shock and, disgustingly, relief. He shouldn't feel something like that for another person dying, but there was no denying those feelings.
"I think that clears up the security risks and just so happens to free you up to spend more time with Rain. Just remember this for the future, Elend, I will not tolerate any threat to Project Justitia, Gestalt or otherwise."
The Earl focused back at the Duke for a moment before looking to the body of his wife, by now it was obvious that she was already gone.
"Now that that is out of the way," the Duke mused, downing the rest of the brandy, "it's time to get to work. KJ would you kindly."
"Of course, My Lord," the majordomo stated, stepping out of the room summoning a maid to call for an ambulance.
The Duke looked at the body one more time, his lips curled back in a sneer for just a split moment before he refocused to the Earl, his eyes scanning over him.
In the decade he had known the Duke he had never seen him like this, and to honest, it scared him somewhat.
What was it that Ruben said some of the chieftains in Area 18 called him?
That's right. The Wolf.
Seeing him like this now, he couldn't argue with that.
00000000000000000000000
He was exhausted, there was no doubt to that he thought as he slowly sat on the bed to the quarters that had been furnished to him by Colonel Hunter. The room of the officer's barracks was relatively spacious and he had a sneaking suspicion that it had been vacated for him.
The dinner had gone well, minus the fact Colonel Anderson had been unable to attend due to an incident in the Saitama Ghetto. Still, it was a welcome atmosphere compared to the outright hostility he had been treated to previously.
Still, it was too soon to draw full judgment on them, the Colonel seemed like an honest customer, but there was always room for an agenda.
Reaching up he massaged the skin where he had taken that rock earlier. It was still tender from the strike, it had luckily not needed any stitches, nor did he suffer a concussion as they feared. Still, every once in awhile it throbbed even as the quick heal did its work.
Sighing, he rose to his feet even as his body protested. As much as he wanted to just curl up and go to sleep, he wouldn't do it, he wouldn't soil the bed he had been loaned.
Moving into the bathroom, he divested himself of his Knight of the Round garments and neatly folded them before stepping gingerly into the shower and turning on the hot water, almost immediately thankful for his decision as the water washed over his back as he braced himself against the wall of the stall just luxuriating in the heat and pressure from the water.
It wasn't often that he allowed himself to simply stand under a shower head like this, his military training ingrained into him that two minutes was all that was needed to truly clean. And those were times he didn't have ice cold water.
His eyes snapped open, suddenly sensing another presence in the room instinct forced him to turn to face the unidentified threat.
Standing before him with a fresh set of clothes was Yuki and he had just provided her with a full display, he quickly turned away as fast as possible, fighting to hide his embarrassment as he closed the curtains, something he should have done before.
"What is it," he asked, red with shame.
"You've been in here for over an hour, My Lord," she replied neutrally, as if the sight of his nudity was nothing to her, "I was concerned and brought you a change of clothes for the evening."
"Thank you," he replied, he had been in here over an hour, he thought aghast, even as he grappled with the humiliation of being caught stark naked by her.
"When you get out, there's a development from the Saitama Ghetto Colonel Anderson wanted me to inform you on as well as a few other details."
This cause Suzaku to looked back towards her through the curtain.
"What's wrong with Saitama?"
"It's just an update," she replied, "I'll tell you more when you're done."
She then closed the door to the bathroom as Suzaku shut off and gingerly walked out of the stall and quickly got dressed into a shirt and shorts before opening the door.
Yuki's head was deep into a small tablet PDA, where she got it from...
"KJ," she said, as if reading his mind, eyes still locked on the device, "if I'm going to be your Majordomo and attendant, I need the gear. So I asked him for help."
"You're really fine with this," he found himself asking, he still wasn't comfortable with the idea of anyone serving him.
"Look," she started with a huff, taking her eyes off what she was doing, "I know you have this entire oppressor and oppressed distinction thing stuck in your head. You aren't oppressing me, and I sure as hell am not being oppressed by you."
"I wasn't saying that, it's just that we'll be deploying into combat areas, it's not exactly...appropriate."
"My Lord, I spent most of my teen years helping my parents patch together people who were hurt in the ghetto. Let's not even go into the fact I was a servant in Pendragon, where according to the witch I was under, the average shelf life of an Eleven in the Imperial Court was about four months before she becomes a sexual conquest for a noble or worse," this caused Suzaku to grimace, "so, please, don't try and protect me. If you want to solve that problem in your head, then why don't you just pay me for my services?"
"But..," he stopped, she did have a valid point about payment, though how much was the next question. But it still came across the wrong way the idea of him dragging Yuki from warzone to warzone where he or even she might be killed. She didn't deserve the path he was walking
"My Lord. You believe that people have a right to choose, correct?"
"Of course."
"Then let me choose. Quit being the gallant knight that will protect women when they don't want or need it."
"That's not what I'm trying to do Yuki, I just don't want you to get hurt because of me."
She paused her eyes narrowing as he felt the challenge there, but instead of voicing it looked back to the tablet.
"BTN broke the news of your Barony about an hour ago, there are currently seventy-four interview requests from local, Area, and national news entities. Responses have been surprisingly more positive than was expected, though it's believed many are simply in a wait-and-see mode."
Her mouth then twitched into a smirk.
"On the net, you're a something of a darling with the commoners, some are comparing you to the late Empress Marianne in regards to your accomplishments and rapid ascent from obscurity."
He could only grimace at the analogy, both at the implications of it, but also being compared to the mother of your best friend he killed in cold blood.
"What about Saitama," he aaked, changing the subject.
"Colonel Anderson issued a warning to all units concerning the abduction of young girl from the ghetto. He personally commanded the search and subsequent apprehension of a slaver group. They are currently being held at Camp Eliot."
A slaver group, he thought, remembering the discussion from this morning with the Duke.
"Were there any Britannians with them?"
She frowned, reading the tablet.
"He didn't say," she replied, "I'll send a query now."
As she started tapping out the query she continued talking.
"There is a demand from the ghetto for these slavers to be turned over to them for punishment."
That was unacceptable, Suzaku thought, if the incident from today was any indication, it would be a short punishment for them, with the endgame being death. The slavers didn't deserve that, but they needed to be punished.
"The query's ready, you want me to send it?"
"Just hold on a moment," he found himself saying as he retreated into his thoughts, something nagging at the back of his head. It was something important, and a possible solution.
He was working with a Barony with no real infrastructure, no services, and no judicial...
"Yuki, attach to it a question for the Colonel's eyes only. Ask him if there is an entry in the military regulations concerning the judicial administration of an area without existing administrative systems. I think there is an entry in the book, I just can't recall the exact wording off the top of my head."
She nodded as she kept typing, finishing up she looked up at him, waiting for his next order.
"Send it," he said, "is there anything else?"
"Prince Schneizel requests your presence for a video conference as soon as possible. Finally, Lord Bismarck requests your presence for a meeting with the Knights of the Round in," she paused as if looking up the time, "six hours.
"Wake me in five hours then. Is there anything further?"
"Just one thing," she said, "how long are you planning to stay in Japan?"
That was actually a good question. He honestly didn't know. He wanted to stay and get at least the groundwork going so he could at least have something running before he deployed.
"I don't know. I at least want to stay the week so I can at figure something out."
"I'll see to it then," she replied walking over to his uniform and gathering it up.
"I'll have this ready when you wake as well as some other clothes," she then informed him, " also, I know you are planning to use the Duke to help you and you have no choice...just, don't trust him, he's not everything he seems."
"Why would you say that?"
"Just a feeling," she replied, "everyone has their price. The smart ones just wait until the markers are just big enough to own you."
"I'll take that under consideration. Good night, Yuki."
"Good night, My Lord."
00000000000000000000000
Yuki sighed as she close the door to Suzaku's quarters and began walking down the hallway from his room. She wasn't surprised it had taken a bit of a verbal whacking in order to at least get it stuck in his mind that she was following him wherever the hell he went.
She hadn't lied to him when she had said she respected and wanted to follow him, in a lot of ways, he was hope at the end of a long and dark tunnel that she had lived through since Japan lost the war, living in squalid conditions, patching up people who were sick or dying. She had seen plenty of people dying in front of her with their blood on her hands. It was a life that had slowly sucked the life out of her until she had just replaced everything with a mask of impassiveness as she just wished to protect herself a world gone hellishly wrong so that a little girl could not have a normal life.
Her head perked up as her senses warned her to the fact she was not alone, ending her thoughts as she reached out, seeking out the threat.
Even though it was dark, almost immediately she knew who it was as she lowered her guard and kept walking past a hall and towards the exit.
"Hello Keith."
"Yuki-nyan," Keith Jenkins, the Duke's majordomo, replied playfully as he slipped out of the hallway and behind her, "you look positively fetching tonight."
"And you are the same asshole you always are," she retorted, "what do you want?"
"Just checking in on our intrepid little kitty who thinks she's a lion. You know the Duke is still very displeased for your little deviation in the contract."
"I saw an opening and I took it. You and I both know that sooner or later Guinevere would have me killed for the Baron's interest in me. She has a propensity of jealousy and it wasn't like you were learning anything from the Baron. Besides, I wasn't the one to break the good faith of the contract, your Duke was when he stopped giving medical supplies to my parents after the Shinjuku Incident without informing me."
"Too many eyes were on Shinjuku, it would do no one any good if it was discovered the Duke was supplying Numbers with medical supplies."
"And the contract offered no exemptions, you can blame yourselves for that oversight."
Keith stayed silent for a moment but she could feel the approval rolling off him.
Fact of the matter was, she and the Duke went back three years when she was approached by Keith with a job offer. It had been a really dark time for herself. Her parents had starting to despair as it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain any type of supplies to keep their clinic going and people mended.
It was reaching such a point that she was considering selling her body just to buy some supplies off the black market. It wasn't that she wanted to, but her parents had always raised her on the idea of sacrificing for the betterment of others and if it could at least save some lives, she'd do it.
Yet it had been that fateful day when she had been returning with some herbs from an underground site that Keith had literally materialized out of nowhere. At first she had thought him a rapist or a murderer preying on young girls until he made her an offer that honestly, she couldn't refuse.
In exchange for medical supplies given to her parents, all she had to do was become the eyes for the Duke in the Imperial Court as well as doing some "errands", which varied from simply observing to more...physical interactions.
So she had taken the job, almost immediately supplies arriving for her parent's clinic. Her parents had been ecstatic at the mysterious supplier, there'd been so many times she had felt the sacrifice she was making was worth it just to see them smile.
During that entire time, Keith had been preparing her for the job. So when she was "abducted" two years ago, she was ready for the job given to her.
But just because she took the job didn't mean she was completely attached to it. And after the first year she was growing increasingly leery that the world was closing in on her and had sought a way out. That was where Suzaku had come in. She knew that the Duke could not risk having his little operation exposed, so when she had caused that scene, she had known she would be placed as eyes for the Duke on Suzaku. Though, she wasn't planning to do even that.
"Careful Yuki, you're playing a very dangerous game disobeying him again. Your loyalty-"
"No, my contract, which was nulled and voided the moment you pulled me out to spy on Suzaku was the only thing I owed the Duke," she replied firmly, "my loyalty is now to the Baron."
"You think you are a fierce kitty now, Yuki-nyan, now that you have your freedom," there was no malice in his question, only amusement.
"I prefer having skin in the game instead of being led around by the nose. Your Duke owes me that much after I saved his life."
"My Lord has not forgotten the Salim Incident and the debt he owes you for it."
"Good, because you can tell him that I'm calling that debt in. I'm done being his gofer."
She could see him raising his head up in the shadows as if listening to something, it was then she spied a small green light by his ear. Almost immediately she recognized that they weren't alone in their conversation. Which only meant one thing...the Duke had been listening the entire time.
"Very well," Keith stated, "in honor of your newfound freedom: What do you want?"
"What do you mean," she asked, confusedly.
"Oh come now, we both aren't dumb, you are in possession of information the Duke is quite keen to tap into, since you seem more loyal to the Baron..."
"Not for sale."
"And here I taught you so much," he said with a sigh, "we'll come into possession of the information one way or another Yuki. This way you can actually profit from providing us with information that won't harm the Baron."
She bit her lip. There was no doubt that the Duke would come to any information they request of her sooner or later, he always seemed to have so many sources of intelligence...but could she again do it and inform on the man she now serves. Even if the information proved to be benign, information always had a usage.
"I will let you filter the information and if you feel that it's a threat to the Baron we will provide you the purpose of the information before you decide to provide it or not," Keith continued, "take into account though, how pivotal the Baron is in the scheme of things. Depending upon his actions and successes here and abroad, the Reformists can use him as a springboard to put on the floor and pass pro-equalitarianism legislation for the first time in history."
She had known that Suzaku was important, but not that important.
But if he is that important...
"Fine, but the Duke won't like my price. I want him to support the Baron's reconstruction fully...with not a single string attached that he can use against Suzaku in the future. No exemptions. The Baron shall owe the Duke nothing. You can take it or leave it."
Keith grimaced.
"Yuki-nyan..."
That was IT! THREE YEARS she had dealt with damn nickname…
"You can put that in writing along with a pledge that you will refrain from adding that...thing onto the end of my name. It's Yuki."
He sighed listening to the Duke on the end of the other line before tapping it off.
"Duke says it's a deal, but he will hold it to you that you don't renege on your deal this time for any reason or there will be repercussions."
"I plan to hold my end, just make sure he does his."
Even in the relative darkness, she could see the flash of white of teeth as Majordomo's smile, as he walked up, her guard snapping up, but then it dropped as he lightly tossled her hair.
"I knew you were a special one the second I laid my eyes on you," he said pulling his hand back as she glowered at him, "still a bit rough around the edges, but that's something you smooth out over time."
"Thanks...I guess."
"Well, I better be going. Got to fly back to the homeland and deal with some pressing concerns for the Duke."
He opened the door past her as he stepped out.
"Oh, and Yuki, if you're going to be the majordomo to the Baron, you'll need to look the part."
He reached into his pocket and handed her a small flat rectangular case and placed it on the folded uniform.
"With that, I'll see you in a couple days. Try and not get too curious about things. You know what happens to curious kitties."
And with that he was gone, leaving her to continue to the drycleaners.
00000000000000000000000
"Nelly," a sing-song voice called out causing Cornelia to immediately pale as she looked up from a report she was finalizing. Her gut was already beginning to turn to ice in fear as there could be only one person whose mere voice could cause her such a reaction.
And that belonged to the light green haired woman in the attire of a Knight of the Round that appeared in the door a huge smile on her face.
"Nelly it's been AGES," Nonette Enneagram declared as she didn't even wait for the invitation, she simply walked into the room flopped herself into the cushioned chair across from Cornelia.
She looked past Nonette to where Alfred Darlton was standing
"I'm sorry Highness," he bowed, "but she insisted she wanted to surprise you and told us if we warned you she'd have us put to death."
"I said nothing of the sort," Nonette weakly protested a smile on her face as she changed the position in the chair to where she lounged on it like a couch, her feet over the edge as she inspected her nails, "that's slandering an upstanding lady of the court."
"Leave us," Cornelia growled, "shut the door, and if ANYONE gets within twenty meters of this door, I will personally flay them alive."
"Yes ma'am," Alfred responded hastily, taking the offered retreat a bit more nimbly tban he should.
As the door closed Nonette perked up looking around.
"Where's Gilly? I haven't seen that delicious man-crumpet around here, and he's usually by your side wagging his tail like a dog awaiting a treat."
"He's taken a leave of absence due to a disagreement," she said after a few moments.
"Because you won't put out? You're such a beast Nelly."
"What? No. NO," she responded disgusted, "we had a disagreement, that's all."
"Right," Nonette said pulling out her mobile and typing something on it.
"What? What are you doing?!"
"Texting Dorothea."
"Texting the Knight of Four what?"
"Oh, just that she owes me a hundred pounds on the state of you and Gilly's innocence."
Cornelia turned red at the same time paling in a mish-mash of terror and embarrassment.
"You're betting on my VIRGINITY?!"
"More like a lady's agreement than a bet," Nonette replied distractedly, "I actually feel bad for poor Gilly, all that delicious handsomeness and you've been blue-balling him for a decade, no wonder he keeps ramrod straight."
"We are not discussing this," Cornelia stammered trying to keep herself from turning into a cherry in color.
"Hey, I'm not the one keeping a gaggle of men who could easily be models in my stable. I mean, you got Gilly, those Darlton boys, and now you've added that Kururugi kid, who I think is quite fetching if a little underage, but when has that stopped any self-respecting lady.."
"Nonette."
"And Cornelia, you have the Duke of New Haven in your stable...NEW FREAKING HAVEN. You know how many girls would kill you for a night with that man. I still can't believe that this is the same guy that was that skinny, nerd kid that we drugged and threw in the Commandant's tub with that Miyazaki kid. The man is built like a GOD. How couldn't you get your flower pruned by that beast?"
"NONETTE!"
She looked up from chattering to see a beet-red Cornelia.
"You mean you turned him down," Nonette asked incredulous.
Cornelia, in hindsight probably one of the dumbest things she would ever do in her life, shook her head.
"Good God, there is still hope for you girl. We need to set you up a date...make it an expensive and get you a good dress and underwear. It has to be silk. It drives guys-"
"Nonette, please," Cornelia begged, trying to keep herself from just running out of the room in embarrassment, which was hard considering who was discussing the subject. Around anyone else, this would not be a problem, yet with Nonette, for some reason, she turned into a blushing school girl.
She could deal facing down an enemy horde without fear, but Nonette...
"Oh, okay," Nonette sighed, "but we need to have a girl pow-wow later about this. You're really starting to feed those rumors that you have a thing for Schneizel."
"That was a kid's thing," Cornelia retorted exasperatedly, "who the hell is spreading that rumor?"
"Who do you think?"
She sighed, "Guinevere."
"Not officially, but you know lady's gossip, even if you don't partake in it."
A silence descended between the two as Cornelia retreated into her thoughts concerning her erstwhile elder sister. Nonette took the time to rearrange herself upright in the chair, folding her hands into her lap,
"How's your arm doing?"
"Hmm?"
"Your arm, how's it doing?"
"Oh," Cornelia glanced at her arm distractedly.
"The quick heal's finishing up the mending process. It should be a couple more days until I'm fully cleared to pilot under combat conditions, it's still a bit tender to move about."
"I see," the green-haired woman responded.
"And how are you doing?"
"Better," Cornelia said quietly averting her gaze, "but I guess that's all you can expect. After all, I nearly lost Tokyo to the Elevens, then had it blown to hell from underneath me because of my incapability of putting the rebellion down. Losing Andreas and...Euphie," she shook her head before looking back to Nonette, whose expression seemed a bit sullen.
"I'm pissed, Nonette. Not broken. It wouldn't honor Andreas, or Euphie, or all that lost their lives in my command if I simply gave up. Besides, I have new responsibilities that I cannot shirk."
"Haven't you even taken the time to grieve?"
"I don't have time to grieve. Even if I did want to, which I don't, I can only imagine Andreas browbeating me for it," she said while smiling wanly.
"He would probably give you a good dressing down," Nonette agreed with a laugh, "Papa Bear Darlton, always more worried about his cubs than himself."
In spite of the pain of it, Cornelia found herself laughing along with Nonette, she knew he had taken an almost sadistic pride in wearing that name, though God have mercy if you ever uttered it in his midst.
"He always could get me to shut my mouth with a single look."
"You mean the 'rape' look'?"
"That's the one," she chortled, "just the way he gave that smirk and raised his nose just a bit so you got a bit of that chin. You knew he wouldn't do it in a million years, but there was just that moment when you couldn't help but think."
They both kept laughing for a time reminiscing at the man that in many ways for Cornelia had been a father figure to her more than her own father.
"I'll miss the old man," Nonette mused, wiping a small tear away as she finished laughing, "Britannia's a worse place without him."
Cornelia nodded in agreement, unable to put words to the storm of emotions she felt, it was a relief to know she could still feel like this, but still...
"I guess it's on to business," Nonette finally said, "I'm here to get your opinion on the Knight of Eleven."
"Suzaku," Cornelia asked a bit quickly, surprised by the question and quickly regretted it as Nonette's face lit up.
"No," Cornelia said, "he's not that way."
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," she said with a cat-like smile, "no, I just want to know a bit about him since he's due a video conference with Bismarck, Dorothea, and myself in a couple hours. You know how personnel jackets are: dusty, methodical, completely devoid of what a person is like, I want to know what he's like."
"And you think I would know that?"
"Cornelia, I recognize your fingerprints when I see it. There is no way Alexander Knight would make such a bold and visible display, while forsaking his current status of parties and educating snot-nosed nobles in the art of war, unless he was asked by a certain purple-haired royal."
She grimaced at the observation, was it so obvious?
"So, tell me," Nonette said, leaning forward in the chair, "what's he like?"
What could she say to be honest? The most she really knew about Suzaku was what Euphie had told her, which was more a glowing account of his character than any legitimate summary, and what she had witnessed of Kururugi was quite limited, because frankly up until Tokyo she had found him nothing more than contemptible vermin.
"You won't be disappointed," she finally admitted, "when the cards are down, he won't let you down."
"That's it?"
She hesitated, wanting to still her mouth from saying what was forbidden, but she stood back and took stock, instead.
Nonette was a close and dear friend, a confidante. They had been roommates during their Royal Academy days where Cornelia had come to think of her in some ways as an older sister to look up to. Could she trust Nonette with the truth like this?
"What do you know about the Zero thing?"
"Other than Kururugi killed him," she shrugged, "it's a bit odd for a story, but I've heard worse, almost seems like a work of fiction, somehow Kururugi ends up staring down Zero by himself and all that…"
Cornelia hesitated for a moment before deciding to take plunge and lowered her voice.
"What if I told you the identity of Zero, but not only that, it appears Zero was a close friend of Suzaku's."
"You're joking."
Cornelia shook her head.
"Can you promise to keep this completely to yourself, as in never utter a word if this to anyone. If you do so, people will suffer for it."
"That's awfully serious, even for you, Nelly," Nonette murmured, "okay, I'll keep it between you and me."
"Zero was Lelouch."
"Lelouch... Lelouch, oh," her eyes widened as the implications hit her, "OH!"
She could only acknowledge it with a nod, her lips a pursed into a thin line.
"And Kururugi was friends with him?"
"So he claims. I have no reason to doubt him considering his reactions."
"Damn," Nonette simply stated, for once at a loss for words.
The implication was completely there. This was the first time since the Emblem of Blood that a member of the royal family had taken arms against the Empire, Nonette easily knew that, Cornelia recognized.
"So Kururugi killed him. No wonder the Emperor likes him. We drill into Honorary Britannians that royalty are beyond reproach and he goes out and kills one. Not only that but a friend. Small wonder he seemed disinterested in the ball. PTSD."
"I don't know if it's that. But I think he might just be the righteous kind. Not exactly great to be exposed to the Court's excesses if you're an idealist."
"Touche," Nonette returned.
A sudden knock at the door caused both of them to perk up as it opened.
"Big Sister," Nunnally asked as she entered, before stopping, "oh, I didn't know you had a guest."
"I was just leaving," Nonette said, "I got to get ready for that meeting," she then cast a meaningful look at Cornelia, "I'll talk to you later."
"Of course, have a good day, Nonette."
With that Nonette took her leave, leaving Cornelia and Nunally alone.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to impose."
"It's fine, Nunnally, you're not imposing. What did you need," she asked pleasantly.
"I wanted to ask you something. Can we go to the Gardens?"
That was odd, a detached corner of her corner of her mind thought, but she easily dismissed it.
"Okay, let me just inform Albert where we will be."
00000000000000000000000
Cornelia was grateful it was a beautiful day outside. This was really the first time she had been outaide with Nunnally, the added fact that this was the first time since Nunnally had been able to walk.
"It's nice outside," Nunnally said, causing Cornelia to refocus on the crippled teen.
"Yes, it is," Cornelia agreed, taking it all in.
The Aries Garden was once described as a wonder of Pendragon by a visiting Ambassador. Cornelia certainly could not disagree looking around at the bloomed flowers.
"Cornelia, can I ask why I'm being kept at the Aries Villa?"
Cornelia froze at the question, completely unprepared for that type of question. In fact, she wasn't prepared for anything along this line, not yet.
"For your protection," she defaulted to a true, but not necessarily correct answer. She wanted Nunnally safe and this was really the only place she could keep her that way.
"Why," came the plaintive reply, tearing at her heartstrings, "is it because of what happened to Mother and Lelouch?"
"Yes. I just want to protect you, Nunnally."
"Brother did the same thing. He kept me in the Academy to protect me," Nunnally sounded like she was ready to cry, "and he's..."
Cornelia looked away. She hated lying to Nunnally, but she knew the truth would be worse for her.
"I know, I just don't want you to get hurt."
"I don't want people protecting me," Nunnally said quietly, "everyone that tries to protect me keeps dying."
Was that what you were really trying to do Lelouch, Cornelia thought again for what seemed to be the hundredth time.
There was actually a cold logic to that, even if she was his enemy, and even that she was beginning to wonder. If Britannia was either hobbled or destroyed and Area 11 was reestablished as a nation, then Nunnally would not have to worry about being rediscovered and brought back into the fold of the Britannia machine.
"Dear Sister, please," Nunnally pleaded, "let me do something. I don't want to be stuck here. I want to be useful."
Nunnally knew how to push her buttons she realized, even if it was unintentional. In a way though, as her father's words rang once again through her head, a use might actually protect her from his wrath.
"Okay Nunnally, I'll see what I can do. If I can, what would you like to do?"
"I heard a few times from when the Darlton's were watching the news, but a lot of people were curious as to what it was like, the last seven years, I would like to tell them what it was like and how Lelouch was. I think he would like that."
Cornelia hesitated for a moment, but she found something resembling agreement within.
"I think he would like that a lot Nunnally. I'll see what I can do."
00000000000000000000000
There was a small part of Nunnally who felt this was all wrong, being so manipulative of her sister that only wanted to protect her. But that part was drowned out by the more coldly logical parts of her mind that noted that it was Cornelia who had lied to her in the beginning in order to "protect" her from the truth.
She could understand it, after all, it was any true siblings nature to protect the weaker one, but just because she understood it didn't mean she would not take advantage.
Maybe the surprising thing, though, was that for some reason, she enjoyed doing this to Cornelia. Not a spiteful type of enjoyment, but something else.
Because this is my rebellion, a thought flitted to the forefront, causing a smile to grace her features. She actually liked the sound of that.
Maybe Lelouch and I have more in common than I thought, she thought as she switched subjects with Cornelia to the weather and obvious retained beauty of the gardens that she could feel and smell.
00000000000000000000000
"Baron Kururugi, so nice of you to join us."
Suzaku nodded at the intended slight from Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of One and commander of the Knights of Round.
"My apologies, Lord Waldstein," he replied, standing before the screen. Unfortunately, because of the infrastructure was still being put into place, the setup for this videoconference was placed in a small room that left not a lot of room for such creature comforts. That would get fixed next week, according to Colonel Anderson, but that time was not now, "the Duke of New Haven absconded with me yesterday morning due to being tipped off as to what my Barony would encompass. He felt that it would be smart for me to have my feet on the ground so I can get a firm grasp on what would need to be done."
His eyes roamed around the screen splits where three of the Knights of Round, Bismarck, Dorothy Ernst, the Knight of Four, and Nonette Enneagram, the Knight of Nine. They were the official "commanders" of the Knights of Round in terms of operational organization and coordinated between the Emperor, his Knights, and the various commanders that they would be working with. They are the brains of the Knights of the Round when Monica Kruszewski, the Knight of Twelve, was included. Her absence could mean a variety of things, many of them bad for those unfortunate to have irritated the Emperor.
"According to reports, it seems you got more than your feet on the ground," Dorothea Ernst, the Knight of Four, stated simply, her lips pressed in a frown of disapproval, "according to Colonel Hunter's after-action report, you went into the Shinjuku Ghetto with a single bodyguard and a Nmber servant with family still living in the Ghetto as Numbers. The fact that you have been on the vidcasts throughout the Empire just happened to escape you? And where were the rest of your Knights?"
"Duke Knight was arranging preparations for the ghetto," Suzaku replied, which was the truth, as far as he knew, though Yuki had noted to him that the hours seemed off, considering, "Baroness Harrington was still at Pendragon preparing the Knightmares for usage, including customizing them with Earl Asplund. I am unsure as to what Sir Swann is doing back in the Homeland, but the Duke assured me that there was a reason. As for Sir Miyazaki, he urged that I do not enter the ghetto without an appropriate detail, when I refused to heed his warnings, he did his best to protect me within his power as well as is responsible for saving my life."
"Baron Kururugi, what concerns me is the latter part of the report, submitted by Miyazaki himself. He stated, and I quote, 'Baron Kururugi surrendered himself to the terrorists over my protests in order to, according to him, prevent bloodshed.'"
Even though he kept his face straight, he could sense the annoyance in Bismarck's tone when he made that address.
"I'll just equate your decision to the head trauma you suffered during the incident," this earned an amused snort from Nonette, it was obvious that she didn't agree with that observation, "I hope that no further head traumas will cause you to make a comparably foolhardy decision in the future."
"Of course, My Lord," Suzaku responded.
"However, since it appears your protective Knight detail is underhanded at the moment, Sir Weinberg has volunteered to supplement them. He will be arriving with his Tristan this evening you time. I do hope you can see to that his hard work and voluntary nature is suitably rewarded."
"Just don't corrupt him," Nonette interrupted, causing Bismarck to scowl slightly at how she was undermining the serious discussion, "the last thing we need is for Gino to be distracted by things such as foreign girls, especially Elevens."
"Nonette, please," Dorothea chimed in.
"What? It's true. Put an enemy army in front of him and he can beat them alone, put a nice and cute girl, be Britannian or a Number in front of the poor guy and he will be swearing eternal love for them."
"That doesn't mean we should be discussing this here."
"He's the one who volunteered."
"Ladies," Bismarck said with a sigh, "can we focus on the Baron here? I sent Weinberg as a reward for the speed in which he acclimated to the Tristan and providing us with the data for future projects. The light duty of protecting a Baron and fellow Knight of the Round who has been suitably apprised as well as an opportunity to learn lessons for when he inherits his noble land is adequate reward, don't you think?"
A chorus of assents confirmed his prognosis as Suzaku felt like a fly in the wall, observing the idiosyncrasies of the relationship between the three.
"Moving on, considering it seems more than likely you will be spending the majority of your two weeks in Japan, I will lay out the current STRATFOR for the next three months."
And here we go, Suzaku silently acknowledged. STRATFOR, or STRATegic FORcast, was the operational plan for a Britannian military unit. In each instance of a published or briefed STRATFOR, it was pretty much Word of God the overall direction of the unit for time period laid out.
"With Lady Alstreim's Mordred coming online at the end of the week, that will bring our overall Generation 7+ Knightmare Frame strength to three. As such, I am assigning you to Task Group Orpheus. You, Sir Weinberg, and Lady Alstreim will all be attached to support Operation Xenophon."
"Further additions to our Gen 7+ assets will take place as follows. Sir Bradley is slated to receive the Percival in three weeks, I will receive the Galahad by the middle of next month, Lady Ernst will receive the Agravain in two to three months once the modifications to the Hadron System is completed. Unfortunately, Project Uriens and Merlin are being delayed so we can push out the others. For the time being, those without Gen 7+ KFs are equipped with custom Pre-Production Vincents."
"I'm regards to deployment orders outside of Xenophon. As soon as the Percival is operational, Sir Bradley and Lady Kruszewski will be deployed to support the Euro-Britannian's Operation Belisarius. Nonette, Dorothea, and I shall remain as the strategic reserve. Are there any questions?"
"No, My Lord," Suzaku replied.
"Very well then, Baron Kururugi, I'll let you go since according to your aide," there was a heavy bit of disapproval in his tone as he spoke that word, "has arranged another conference with the Prime Minister."
"Thank you, Lord Waldstein."
The link then died as Suzaku breathed a sigh of relief.
"I apologize," Yuki spoke as he turned to face her, she had spent the entire time out of the pickup listening in at his request, "but the Prince was fairly adamant for a timely meeting and I-"
To be honest, he still found it awkward the relationship of having a Majordomo, especially a female one, who was his manager. On top of that he had met her less than a week ago, yet for a reason he was still trying to fathom, he trusted her, even if to him this was awkward, even as she seemed to have put on a professional persona flawlessly.
Part of him was suspicious that there was a lot more to Yuki than she was telling him, yet at the same time, her steadiness steadied him even as he fought to keep himself upright in the storm.
"It's fine, Yuki. To be honest, I hate strategic meetings, thankfully it seems Lord Waldstein likes to be straight and to the point. How long do I have until Prince Schneizel?"
"Fifteen minutes, My Lord-"
"Suzaku," he corrected.
"Suzaku. There are some muffins outside if you wish to get a quick bite."
"Thank you, Yuki," he said after a moment, "I think I will."
00000000000000000000000
This. This was mildly irritating, Schneizel el Britannia thought to himself as he reflected over the information before him.
In a way he was grateful for the revealed information, because it provided him a glimpse into the network of a possible enemy, but at the same time it was disconcerting because it larger than he expected.
That's not to say it was a threat to him or Guinevere, but one would be an idiot to not remember how his father's takeover of the Empire was an alliance of interests, all it would take is for various interests to align under a common banner, and that required a royal.
Cornelia, of course it would come back to Cornelia, he thought irritably, the Duke's supporting Kururugi at Cornelia's behest, which means something has changed.
What that change was exactly, still escaped him, but he had it more than likely his actions in Tokyo and the incidents with the vi Britannias.
He wasn't sure exactly what Cornelia knew about the vi Britannias, but he was damnably sure she knew just as much as him, that Lelouch had not been killed by Zero, and as much as he had gleaned from Nunnally, Lelouch had been alive up until Tokyo. This left only a handful of possibilities and the knowledge of that created power. And in a period of intrigue, knowledge was as powerful as a division of Knightmares, it could make or break a run for the throne.
The prevailing question was how far the schism between himself and Cornelia had developed and was it salvageable.
No, he automatically thought, I ordered the deaths of her men and herself. If there is one thing that Cornelia valued above those she cared for, it was then men and women under her command.
So then the question became what could he do to blunt her. Cornelia, unlike Guinevere was perfectly capable of making a change if it made sense. And with Kururugi saving her and her sudden allowance for a Reformist to work for her meant there was a possibility she was at least open to some moderate leanings. An especially disconcerting development, but not anything too worrisome…yet. That uniquely maddening qualifier that could make or break a plan if executed poorly was something that caused him a slight bit of consternation.
He couldn't kill her, even if she became that level of threat that required exquisite care, to kill a person was to admit your incapability to convert them to your side, it was the ultimate form of cowardice. Not to mention it'd expose him too much.
So that was off the table. So if he couldn't kill her, maybe he could hobble her image to where people wouldn't be so willing...
He smiled, that was it. He mentally jotted a note to explore the option further. It was low-observable and he could keep his hands free of the matter entirely.
A chime signaled causing him to refocus on why he was even pursuing this line of thought.
"Lord Kururugi, good morning," Schneizel greeted as the figure on the screen appeared resplendent in the uniform of a Knights of the Round.
"Good evening, Prince Schneizel. I apologize for delaying our meeting."
He smiled affably while waving his hand in dismissing it.
"Think nothing of it. I don't blame you for what you did. If anyone should apologize, it should be me for not preventing my sister's pettiness from causing you grief."
The Baron merely nodded in acceptance of the apology.
"Might I ask what you are planning to do with your Barony?"
"At the moment, I am exploring the options available to me. Duke Knight believes there will be a need for labor both skilled and unskilled for the rebuilding of the Settlement. I don't know is that is true yet, but I have several meetings scheduled throughout the day, one of those will be on the viability of such a scenario."
And they will tell you it's right, Schneizel thought a bit dourly, chalking another one to the Duke. In a lot of ways it would be a win for everyone, including Britannia, if the Settlement was rebuilt quickly. Of course, there were quite a few obstacles to it, but if they could be navigated.
"Concerning the Ghettoes themselves, what do you plan for their administration and policing? We do not need the ghettoes to remain hotbeds of malcontents and terrorists."
"Of course, Your Highness. Again, I will have to admit that most of those answers will be coming in the next few days. Suffice to say there is a lot of work that needs to be done and not a lot of time for me begin executing my duties. I believe you at least want me back to Pendragon next week for briefings and preparations for Xenophon."
"Don't press yourself too hard, Baron. The last thing we would need is for you to push yourself into a hospital stay. I was already planning to send you all the briefing and information packets so you would only be needed for the last stages of preparation. That should give you some more time."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"Might I offer you access to some of my advisors to assist you. They have experience in these kinds of things."
"That is...very generous of you," Suzaku responded, "you really don't have to."
"No, I insist. I think Euphemia would be quite disappointed with me if I neglected helping you when I could."
Almost immediately Schneizel realized his mistake as he spotted that telltale signals of irritation, the setting of the jaw, the slight narrowing of the eyes.
"Thank you again, Your Highness," he said with a hint of frost in his tone, "I appreciate your generosity, as I am sure the late Princess Euphemia would as well."
"We're all friends here, Baron," he responded, smiling and trying to thaw the sudden change, it was almost like dealing with Cornelia, it was bad enough with her, last thing he needed was a valuable piece hostile to him.
"Of course, Your Highness," Suzaku replied stiffly, "just the memories and grief I have for the Princess are still quite fresh."
"Perfectly understandable. I'd be offended if there wasn't any uneasiness. Now, since you have a long day ahead of you and there really isn't anything pressing to go over, I will bid you good morning."
"Of course, Your Highness. Good evening."
Schneizel then cut the link, retreating back to his thoughts and plans, quietly redesignating the Baron into a category in which he should tread carefully.
00000000000000000000000
"So, India."
Villetta Nu, Baroness, head of the Black Knights Special Branch looked at the hand resting on her shoulder then to brown hair belonging to Kara Reese.
They had only known each other for a day and frankly, Kara had already burned away whatever goodwill she had for her second-in-command
It wasn't her professionalism that was the issue. In fact, for her it was a welcome change after the Purists, she was like a finely honed razor in terms of work ethic. No the problem was the fact that Kara was constantly in your personal space, either by having physical contact, or taking residency in your personal bubble. The rest of the team seem not bothered by it, but for Villetta, it seemed borderline sexual harassment the way Kara draped herself on you.
As was the way the hand was positioned, well it was just creepy to say the least.
"Yes," she responded as neutrally as possible, in spite of the hands position, "I remember there being an Indian woman in with the Black Knights who seemed to be in charge of their Knightmares."
"Rakshata Chawla...we taught her?"
"It appears so. But the part that caught my attention is her familial ties."
Kara leaned even closer over her shoulder, close enough to almost taste the strawberry shampoo that Kara appeared to use.
"She's related to the Maharajah?!"
"Distantly, but with the information you gleaned from...that guy, we now have a more complete picture of the Black Knights. Since they have lost Area 11, they will fall back to the one place they can: the one nation that had been providing material support to them."
"Makes sense," Kara replied thoughtfully, "and one of the few places we can't take any action without starting up a diplomatic shitstorm."
"Yeah," Villetta replied, though more for Kara's benefit than her own, she still was figuring out the limits of OSI's power and reach. It was arguably treacherous ground until she did so.
"However, don't we have a station in Mumbai," she asked.
"Yes. It's out of the embassy there. I graduated with the Section Chief. Why do you ask?"
"Well, we can't take a direct action, but couldn't we at least observe them and if we can, put pressure on the Maharajah to give them up."
"We'd be in position to snatch up or liquidate the leadership," Kara breathed, looking at Villetta, "for someone who was born with a spoon in her mouth, you seem to have this cloak-and-dagger stuff down."
She shrugged in response, offended by the insinuation that she was high-born, but then again, it made her wonder, Kara was thorough, why would she say that she was born with a spoon in her mouth when it was patently untrue.
"Just read a few of those pulp novels as a kid."
Kara laughed.
"Well, I'll hit up the Director with the idea, he's indisposed at the moment and the last person to interrupt his personal time got a tour down in Antarctica counting penguins. Why don't you head out for the night?"
That actually had a nice ring to it, considering she now had a penthouse in her possession. While she hadn't had it personalized for herself, it had the most expansive and luxurious bath she had ever seen, and last night, it had taken every physical effort to just pull herself out and go to bed.
And if that wasn't enough, there was the small swimming pool...
"I'll take you up on that," Villetta responded, pulling herself out of the daydreaming, she got up and started gathering her stuff into a bag.
"Well then, good night, and have a safe swim."
She spun around to question how Kara knew that, but she was already gone.
Yeah. There was no way Kara could not be a problem for her sanity
00000000000000000000000
"Kallen..."
"..."
"KALLEN!"
Blue eyes snapped open and groggily into focus as she took in her surroundings as her brain took stock of what was going on as she felt herself rising.
No, scratch that, she was in the cockpit of the Guren as it was raised to the deck of the Tosogare.
How the hell did I get into the Guren, she thought, last thing I remember was breakfast with Lelouch and...and?
"Kallen answer!"
"What," she asked, even as she heard explosions in the distance, her mind finally shaking off the funk that afflicted her.
"The meeting with the Maharajah was a trap," Ohgi's voice filled her cockpit, causing her attention to snap to razor-sharp focus, "somehow Britannia got tipped off and ambushed Zero."
"Where's Zero?"
"We don't know. I'm trying to raise Tohdoh, he and the Holy Swords were escorting him."
Odds are jammer, she thought unconsciously as the cobwebs disapeared, if they ambushed them they will jam any attempts to call for help.
"Just give me where they were supposed to meet. I'll follow the explosions."
"Right."
She then launched out with the Guren ignoring the people in the dockyard staring at her.
The map then popped up on her display as she looked it over.
"Ohgi, get everyone you can around, Knightmares and Anti-Armor, I don't care, let me know what we got. And find out what the locals are doing."
"Roger Ka-"
Whatever Ohgi was going to say was squelched out by electronic noise, which meant that her inference was correct as the plume of smoke was closer to her now.
The only way that they couldn't contact Tohdoh was that he was being jammed, which since the battle seemed to be moving, meant that the jamming source was likewise mobile.
Which means, she thought as she changed her course, reading over the map and comparing where the smoke was coming from and where she initially ran into the jamming, you should be right here.
She came sliding around the corner and sure enough, there was her quarry, a Gloucester equipped with an assortment of antennas.
Got you, she thought as she grabbed it with her claw, flipping on the Radiation Wave Surger and being rewarded with it bubbling and them exploding.
"-is Chiba, demanding immediate assistance at Sector H3," a hysterical voice sounded in her cockpit, "Tosogare, where are you?!"
"Chiba, it's Kallen, I'm at your one o'clock and am inbound. Where's Zero and what's your status," she was surprised at how calm she sounded, despite the thudding of her heart in her ears.
"He's in my cockpit bleeding all over the place," her voice came back in a panic, "everyone else is dead and I have half the Britannian army after me, I need support now."
I'm in charge, she thought in horror, everything rests on me. What do I do? What can I do?
You can lead, you stupid girl, a part of her railed at her, Lelouch needs your help.
Taking a deep calming breath she refocused as she tasked herself to the duty she needed to fulfill.
"You're getting it, I need numbers now Chiba, you're still mobile?"
"Of course I am," she retorted angrily.
Kallen cut the channel and keyed in another.
"Ohgi, it's just me and Chiba out here. What do you have?"
She then passed by a fleeing Chiba hand already at the ready as she slammed a Sutherland into a building, swinging with her other hand the knife.
"I got four Burais and six RPG teams."
Better than what I could hope. she thought the plan that had been floating in her mind crystallizing as she got a tally of Chiba's pursuers.
I don't know how long it will take until Lelouch recovers from his injuries, he never said. So that means I'm in full charge until-
Her blood froze as warnings went off just in time for her to somersault over where a jousting lance would have bisected her as a Gloucester came out of a side street.
Stop dilly-dallying Kallen! 16 enemy KMFs, got to get Lelouch to safety, but I can't risk the submarine, and I have at least four more KMFs myself.
"Chiba, head to Sector A2."
"Screw you I'm-"
"Shut up Chiba! A2, NOW, we can't lose the sub because you were a dumbass and led them to it."
"...Right."
"Ohgi, send everything to A2, arrange them in an open semi-circle with the bowl facing the northwest using the shanties as cover. RPG crews on the roofs at the lips and a hundred meters northwest of the lip. Chiba, you're going to slow down at Sector A3-"
"As i-"
"Not a lot, just so they can gather up, you got sixteen, I repeat, one-six Knightmares chasing you, we need every shot to count. Ohgi, Kento's with them right?"
"He's in a Burai, yes."
"He's in nominal command," Kallen stated, darting into an alley and bringing herself to a stop, "I'll try and buy him some time. He needs to use the fire zone and bottle them up there. Anything from the locals?"
"No."
"Then consider them compromised and likely hostile."
"But we'd be attacking-"
"An unknown group who may or may not be under orders to detain us. The fact they aren't acknowledging you means they are not likely friendly. We can beg forgiveness later."
She could feel the sigh from Ohgi before he finally answered.
"Okay."
"Keep me updated."
Taking a deep breath to collect herself, a part of her mind noted an odd lack of any foot traffic, bit before she could follow that further she logged it away as the mental clock she had been running since her lost contact counted down.
Three, two, one...
She then darted out of the alley, spin-kicking one Sutherland, grabbing the previous Gloucester's leg with her claw and ripping it away.
Two down, she confidently noted, as she righted herself up, using her harkens to clear the datum as she launched up onto the rooftops, using the landspinners and her balance to quickly head towards the ambush point.
They should be making contact.
"Now," Sugiyama's voice sounded, as she immediately could see the explosions in the distance.
"Chiba, head for the sub now and het Zero tended to. Tosogare, how soon can you get underway?"
"Two minutes."
"Make it faster. Kento status report?"
"We got eight of them, another three crippled. The rest are holding back."
"Get your Burais back to the sub, RPG teams, if you can't make it back to the sub, drop your gear and disappear, we'll get in contact with you as soon as possible."
"We're going to run away," Tamaki's questioning shout caused her to cringe.
"Just get to the sub," she snapped.
They had rejoined up and were making a mad dash for the submarine when a beam of brilliant green cut off any further from Tamaki as his Burai exploded
"Tamaki," Kento yelled.
No, no, no, he shouldn't be here, he CAN'T be here.
But there was no doubt as the Guren's sensors detected the approach of the oncoming Lancelot, which meant that he was here to finish the job.
Over my dead body.
"Kallen, we're underway, you need to get back now."
That wasn't going to happen, she thought bitterly, if that bastard is here, he needs to be slowed down for Lelouch to escape.
She was not going to sacrifice anyone else to him. Even if it cost her life, as long as Lelouch escaped, then the fight for Japan could continue.
Taking a deep breath she braced herself for her next decision as every part of her urged herself to flee.
"Kento, get everyone back to the sub."
"Kallen, what are you doing?!"
"Buying you time. Ohgi, get everyone to safety, I'm sorry to do this to you."
"There must be another way!"
"There isn't."
"That's a pity," Lelouch's voice sounded, "and you were doing so well."
"Wha?"
The cockpit went dark, but was then quickly lit up with in bloody-red script "YOU ARE DEAD" with a tune that seemed to want to drive home that fact.
But it all did not register for Kallen as she became increasingly confused at what was going on.
That was when her cockpit opened and she found Lelouch, Tohdoh, and Rakshata standing on the edge of the catwalk beside her.
"I don't understand," Kallen stuttered, looking around, coming down from the adrenaline high of 'combat'.
"It's called a simulation, dear," Chawla was the first to speak, the smoke rising from her pipe, "and I am so glad it was. You were going to waste my dear child for something so foolish as a sacrificial lamb."
Her eyes then drifted to Lelouch, boring through him in both a question, and seeking to figure out how she could not even recall how she got into the cockpit of the Guren to begin with for this simulation.
It didn't seem Lelouch was interested in giving an answer as he merely stared back at her for a few more moments, as if inspecting her like a piece of artwork. It took Tohdoh coughing lightly to break the uneasy silence.
"Right," Lelouch stated, looking to Tohdoh, "it seems you were right about Kallen's leadership being one that manifests itself under fire instead of being taught. Still, it wouldn't hurt to at least give her some lessons and pointers. But I do have to say, I was right about her."
Right about leadership? Lessons? Right about me?
"Indeed, Lelouch," Tohdoh replied, looking back at Kallen, "she's a bit rough around the edges, but the potential is there."
"Okay, stop talking like I am not here. What test? How the hell did I get here? Why can't I remember anything?"
Again, that uneasy silence descended upon the quartet.
"I guess I should explain," Lelouch finally said, "Tohdoh and I had a discussion last night about you and how to figure out how to bring out your potential as a commander, but also figure out where you are at in capability so we can teach you. Tohdoh pointed out the possibility that you might be a commander who doesn't exactly exhibit the skill unless you are under fire. Since it'd be rather idiotic for me to put people under fire just to ascertain if Tohdoh was right, we devised a way to discover this, albeit…"
"Albeit what?!"
"It required a level of immersion that required deception. In this case, it required a state of sensory deprivation until the test could begin. To fulfill thiss an instrument of…chemical persuasion was required."
Chemical persuasion, she wondered, staring at him for a moment as her mind grappled with the description.
"Here", Lelouch placed a glass of orange juice on her tray, "you look like you need it more than me."
It was then that it clicked for her as dawning comprehension reddened her face as she sauntered towards Lelouch and slapped him as hard as she could, the resounding smack echoing in the hangar where they stood.
"You bastard," she snarled, then slipped through Tohdoh and Chawla and heading for the exit to the hangar, leaving the trio in another bout of awkward silence.
00000000000000000000000
"Great work tonight, Oscar," a woman said as Oscar Saint smiled pleasantly in response as he placed his violin in its case.
"Thank you Cherise," he said, "it was a good night for all of us. I think we are all looking forward to opening Mefistofele next week."
She smiled and nodded, placing her own violin in its case.
"You have a good night."
"Same to you."
He watched as she left, before finally locking the protective case and heading for the exit, humming a tune.
Even though he was the head of the Office of Secret Intelligence, there were few people in public who knew who the head of it was. Really, it didn't matter to them, just the idea of the OSI was enough to cause a reflexive ducking for cover. But then again, no one would believe that Oscar Saint, unassuming concert violinist, was the head of one of the most ruthless and secretive organizations in the world.
He refrained from chuckling, it was unbecoming of the persona he put up, that of a gentlemanly older man who was one of the premier concert violinists in the Empire. It just would be too much of a hassle for such a pointless expression.
Opening the door to the outside, he came to a stop as he quietly noted that it was raining now. An omen perhaps, he thought, as he tightened his jacket a little bit further to conserve his warmth.
"My lord," Kara Reese said, walking up beside him, holding out an umbrella which he gratefully allowed himself to be put under as they both walked to an idling car.
He then stopped as his phone suddenly vibrated, taking his focus off his surroundings and how elegant the rainfall seemed. Reaching into his pocket with his free hand, he pulled it out and flipped it open to look at the message.
A faint smirk crossed his features, his yellow eyes dancing with amusement as he read the singular line of the message before closing it.
The car door opened and he let himself inside as Kara stood in the rain underneath the umbrella, he tossed her the phone, her finely honed reflexes allowed her to capture it on the way up.
"You know what to do," he stated, not once making eye contact with her, as he then closed the door, and the car drove off.
Kara watched as the car disappeared before looking down at the phone, flipping it open to read the message.
On the phone, in five words was simply:
LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA STILL LIVES
Author's Note: Well, three weeks is fast becoming the standard for updates, in between all the time I spend writing on my phone, though I could have got this out five days ago, but I got distracted by Fire Emblem Awakening and Dead Space 3. They are both time consuming and fun. Of course, since I do almost all my writing on my iPhone at work nowadays, the amount of work I get done depends on both how I feel and how distracted I am at work. So three weeks might be the operating term from now on.
Now, for a series of clarifications, there will be a few minute changes to the previous chapters, this is due to my writing being that of an "evolving" format in that I don't generally preplan that heavily on the chapters. This allows a level of fluidity and comfort for myself when executing it. Now, because of this, there might be errors. In this case, there are a few, and I would like to warn upfront that those will be changed upon the completion of Aria Dix.
First and foremost, Operation Xenophon and Operation Belisarius. Xenophon has been hinted previously as the invasion of Normandy. However, due to the lack of accurate mapping of the Geass Universe, I am left in a bit of a quandary, as far as I KNEW up to a point, Britannia had recaptured Britain. I was wrong in that regard, so the changes that will take place in previous chapters is the reference of Europe will be replaced by references of the retaking of Britain. Apologize for that oversight.
Next, will be the numerous "usage" changes in terms of honoraries for people, I have been dressed down in private on some of the more inaccurate honoraries for nobles. I intend to have them cleansed once the next chapter is completed as part of my "review" process to both clean up and to fix any inaccuracies in the text.
Finally, the battle itself was pretty much completely written to the soundtrack of Downtown Tokyo Chase by Brian Tyler, it's an excellent track and I think it fits quite well with the overall atmosphere of it.
On another note, BatmanGenesis, thank you for the tip of the hat to my fic. It really means quite a bit to me, and I apologize for not making reference to you until now, it's partially a lack of trying to express my feelings for it, and at the same time it is the first time someone has actually referenced my work like this. It probably won't make up for the weeks/months of ignoring I have done, but thanks.
In closing, I'll just repeat the same tired and true "look forward to your feedback" and "my inbox is open if you have any questions/concerns/complaints", I think people are getting tired of it, to be honest. As am I, a lot of what drives me is both the story itself and the fact that it always brings a moment of enjoyment to read my inbox showing new followers/favorites/reviews, just adds an extra oomph to telling me I'm doing a good job.
Anyways, until next time, enjoy.