Aaaand hello again, readers! Neolyph here with another chapter of Darwin for your reading pleasure! Ughh, this chapter was a pain to write. I'm in a difficult position because I need to do a timeskip, but there was no good place to do it. So if this chapter seems a tad rough with certain plot threads, I apologize. Things are going to be heating up next chapter though!

Now, for reviews!

ShadowEmperor77: That's what I was aiming for. Lelouch as he could have been, with diehard followers and a plan for world domination!

CreedMaster1715: Slight spoilers here, but he did actually have a jammer in his office. The problem was that the bug was manufactured by the OSI and hardened against such things. Lelouch and Ashford won't make that mistake twice.

Azzzimoth: Great to hear that I'm hitting that balance well. I try to weave sex into the plot, since it fits with the character I'm building for Lelouch. Glad that its working out!

RandomReview: The threat is coming, my friend. Right now, Lelouch is still in the 'Clovis' stage of his revolution. Pretty soon, the Occupation's going to dig its heels in.

Gammagyro: Kallen, Milly, Sayoko, Mao, C.C, Kaguya, and (possibly) Cornelia and/or Euphemia (I might make it a poll)

Erit of Eastcris: You have a fair point there. I'll think about it.

Chapter 12: Shattering

The JLF bunker was in a state of chaos.

Word had reached them just an hour ago through Lady Kaguya that the Vicereine knew their location and was on the way with her army. Todoh had immediately ordered a complete evacuation, cursing the lateness of the information.

Logistics officers flitted about rapidly, constantly having to make hard decisions about what precisely they could afford to leave behind. Considering that the timing of their next resupply from Kyoto was a complete unknown, the math was all the more difficult.

Some of Todoh's officers, Kusakabe the most vocal among them, had wanted to fight it out with Carine's weakened forces—but Todoh couldn't bring himself to do it. Not when Suzaku was still doped up on pain medication and required medical transport. Getting him out was his highest priority. Carine and her forces could be dealt with at a later date when there wasn't already an ongoing crisis.

This decision had... not been popular.

Only his Holy Swords had accepted his judgement without protest. But then again, they were still trying to make up for their failure to repel Zero's assault the previous morning.

Sighing, he buried his face in his hands. He told himself that he was making the decision that was best for the JLF in the long run, but an insidious voice in the back of his head told him otherwise. It whispered that he was unfit to lead—that he was placing his personal relationship with Suzaku over an opportunity to cripple the Occupation.

Yes he knew that Carine had an ambush in store, but that same ambush was predicated on an underestimate of his forces. Even after yesterday's losses, he had over a hundred Burai frames at his disposal, along with knowledge of the terrain and the home-ground advantage. So long as he could make a sufficient first-strike, the battle was winnable.

But he couldn't take the risk. Not with supplies and men so critically low. Not with support from Kyoto becoming unreliable. Not with his best pilot crippled.

He finished copying his computer's contents onto a portable hard drive, since the physical machine was too cumbersome to bring along.

There was a rapid knock on his door, and without waiting for permission a private barged in. Normally such a breach of conduct would have resulted in discipline from Todoh, but there was currently no time for niceties.

"General, sir!" snapped the private as he saluted. "The essentials have been loaded into trucks, and the pilots are preparing to deploy for escort. Colonel Chiba and the rest of the Holy Swords await you in their hangar."

Todoh nodded, finishing shoving the hard drive into a duffel with the rest of his personal belongings. "Put this bag with the others, then report to your commanding officer."

"Sir!" the private replied, shouldering the bag and dashing off for the vehicle bay.

A pang of nostalgia struck Todoh as he examined his now terribly-messy office. Half the wall ornaments had been packed in his duffel, the other half had been destroyed during his outburst yesterday. For six years he had conducted the JLF from this room. Now, he'd had less than an hour to say goodbye to it. He ran a hand along his solid oak desk, before finally trailing to his computer.

Taking a deep breath, he inputted a lengthy numeric sequence, and pressed his thumb to the integrated fingerprint scanner.

Immediately, a timer appeared on the monitor and began counting down from thirty minutes.

"Sayonara," he whispered one last time, before shrugging his coat on and making for the hangar.


Reuben Ashford stood in his tower's security office, watching over his guards' shoulders as they monitored one of the conference rooms. His legal team had told him in no uncertain terms that the audit had to happen, so he'd brought Conley and his people in this morning.

Of course, just because the audit had to happen, didn't mean he had to make it easy for them.

So he'd had them set up in a windowless conference room with the heat cranked all the way up until it felt like the Sahara in there. Then, he'd had all their financial ledgers transferred to paper—quoting 'security concerns' as the reason for non-digital files. With a corporation of his size, physical copies of their transactions for the last year stacked a foot high across the entire conference table.

And, unfortunately, some interns had buggered up and dropped the stacks when they bringing them in, so they were also completely out of order.

The room was additionally bugged and dotted with hidden cameras, monitored by the Shadows that Prince Lelouch had assigned for his tower's security.

Either these auditors would crack and just give his corporation a clean stamp, or they would soldier through for months looking for a smoking gun that his Geassed accountants had buried under several financial mountains of paper.

Regardless, by the time these auditors could find anything incriminating, the Ashford Consortium would be property of Emperor Zero's Neo-Japan.


"General, I must protest this decision!" growled Kusakabe over the Knightmare comms. Todoh had assigned him and his forces to the rear of the convoy in hopes that he could avoid the man's complaints, but it seemed he would still be forced to bear them.

"Your objections have been noted, Lieutenant Colonel, but my orders stand," he stated harshly over his frame's radio from the front of the column. They were rapidly approaching the main road through the mountains, and he didn't have time to argue with his subordinates when Carine's army was due any minute.

"Carine is weakened!" Kusakabe continued hotly. "She is placing herself into our hands! This is the opportunity we have waited for since the invasion! A royal hostage!"

"The General has given you an order!" snapped Chiba, loyal as ever. "You will be silent and do as you are told!"

He and his Holy Swords finally broke onto the winding road that bisected the mountain range. It was mercifully empty, and the convoy transitioned onto it without difficulty.

There was a burst of chatter along the radio, practically indecipherable to the layman—but Todoh understood the thrust of the reports.

The surveillance posts had spotted Carine's own cavalcade enter the mountains.

His radio burst once more to life with Kusakabe's voice. "General, the Vicerine is here! We can take her and end the war right here!"

That was the final straw. "Lieutenant Colonel, you are out of line for the last time. Once we are reestablished, you will be demoted for insubordination. Another word, and I will have you flogged as well."

Finally, there were a few moments of blessed silence on the comms. Then, it was shattered once more.

"Soldiers of Japan!" barked Kusakabe over the universal channel, and Todoh froze in shock as he realized what the man was about to do. "Our oppressor is within our grasp, and our 'general' refuses to take action. He lets his personal attachment and complacency blind him to what must be done! I will not stand for it! For six years we have done nothing! It ends today! We will take the Vicereine and leverage her for the freedom of our people! All who will join me, follow! Nippon Bonzai!"

To Todoh's horror, half his Knightmares broke off from the convoy to follow Kusakabe as he spun his frame around and roared away in the opposite direction.

"General," cried Chiba, "what should we do?"

Todoh gritted his teeth. Half his brothers were charging towards doom and wasted deaths. But at the same time, all that following them would mean was joining them.

"Leave them," he ordered. "Continue escorting the trucks. They have chosen their fates."

It tore at his heart to leave good, if misguided, men behind. But with Suzaku in one of the medical trucks and hundreds of infantrymen defenseless in the rest, he couldn't leave them undefended. He'd just have to cut his losses.

And so the JLF shattered in half and splintered in two directions—both halves believing the other doomed to failure.


Carine was beginning to get worried. She couldn't have advertised this troop movement anymore if she'd hired a publicist. Yet they were halfway through the mountains and there was no sign of the JLF. If the Elevens had decided to tuck tail and run, her life was over.

She sat on her throne in the G-1 Command Center, swirling wine in her glass with Giles at her shoulder. Countess-General Nu stood in the lower section of the bridge as she directed her officers. The forest she could see through the wide, reinforced windows looked absolutely perfect for an ambush and she only had eighteen Glasgows escorting her convoy. So where were the Elevens?

Suddenly, the entire G-1 shook as a massive detonation thundered from the mountainside. Almost in perfect sync, dozens of olive-colored Knightmares erupted from the treeline and began firing on her soldiers. Several Glasgows fell almost immediately, but Carine was delighted to see that their attention was focused on her Command Center.

"Now!" ordered Nu, and the Vicereine watched in satisfaction as one hundred Sutherlands leapt from the multitude of trucks and deployed weapons.

These apes had been a thorn in her side for her entire reign, and she finally got to watch them receive their just due. They struggled like cornered, ferocious rats as they realized the reality of their situation, but in the end all they could do was struggle against the inevitable.

It was almost laughable watching the Lancelot tear through the JLF's knockoff Glasgows. She could now see why her brother Schneizel tolerated someone like Asplund.

A few of the Elevens broke and ran near the end, but the G-1's cannons gunned them down with ease.

"Ensure there are prisoners," she reminded Nu, and the general nodded before relaying the order to the ground troops.

Several of the frames either voluntarily or forcibly ejected, and her forces broke off into the woods to recover the pods. No cowardly terrorists would escape the might of Britannia.

Once the smoke had cleared and casualties tallied, she grinned at the sight of over a dozen Elevens being marched into her Command Center for interrogation. It seemed they would have to do since, by the looks of the fiery crater in the distant mountainside, the JLF base would have nothing for them.


Vanderbilt sighed, slamming his head into the stack of papers before him. His jacket was off, his tie loosened, and his collar opened—yet he still felt on the verge of heatstroke.

It was blatantly obvious that Ashford was trying to dissuade him and his financial analysts from continuing the audit, but with the information he'd uncovered from his bug he knew that there was dirt to be found here.

His earpiece began softly vibrating, and he mentally translated the morse-code message before blanching. Carine had moved against the JLF a day ahead of schedule, and they had blown up their own base. Silently, he swore to hang Bartley up by his toes until the useless cretin saw the face of their Master. How had he failed to report something like that?

As casually as he could, since he knew that the room was being monitored, he reached up and began idly tapping out a response on his earpiece ordering a response team sent ASAP to search the wreckage for their Master.

If he didn't still need Bartley as an ear in the Vicereine's military command, he'd have also ordered the man's death then and there for such a blunder.

He lifted his head, glaring at the handful of papers that had stuck to his sweaty forehead and swiping them away.

It didn't matter how long it took. He had the men, so he'd find Ashford's dirt out of sheer principle at this point.


Water had always possessed a calming effect for Lelouch. When he really needed to think or just let go for a minute, there were few places better than the Ashford Academy swimming pool.

The coolness of the water focused him, and there was something about the mechanical yet fluid action of swimming that was almost therapeutic to his constantly-stressed psyche. It also helped that it gave him time to spend with Nunnally, since Thomas had recommended aqua aerobics to keep her legs from atrophying. As such, while he swam laps, Bella and Lucinda, donned in swimsuits, were exercising his sister in the shallow end.

Once he was out of breathe, he finally paused for a break by his sister.

"So tell me, princess," he teased, "how are your studies going?"

Her angelic face pouted cutely. "Calculus is hard," she grumbled.

"It's supposed to be," he chuckled, silently taking the maids' places in supporting Nunnally. She took his hand, and he began rubbing his thumb in circles over the back of her hand. He knew that she was trying to conceal it, but both Bella and Lucinda had reported to him that she'd been rather glum over his heightened absence the last month.

"But Mr. Stevens tells me that my poetry is really good," she said, brightening. "He said that I might even be able to do it professionally."

He smiled, running a hand through the wet strands of her sandy-brown hair. "I'd love to hear some. Between poetry and the violin, you're becoming an all-around virtuoso, aren't you? Just promise me you'll remember your brother Lelouch when you're some big shot artist."

"Pinky promise," she giggled, wrapping her digit around his own. "But enough about me, Big brother. How has work been?"

"Brutal," he said honestly. "Always some fire to put out, some competitor to dissuade. But every day I know that I'm working to make the world a better place for you, my little angel. How about friends? I hear from Milly that you've been cracking the whip on her in the Student Council."

His sister giggled. "I think cracking the whip on Milly is more your domain, Big Brother," she teased. "But the Student Council is great. Everyone's so nice. Milly's Milly. Rivalz is really funny, but he's always broke because he gambles a lot afterschool. Nina and Shirley are very sweet, but they're also pretty shy. Nina's a super genius, and Shirley's Captain of the Swim Team."

Lelouch continued exercising his sister as she told him tales of the Student Council's antics. In a way, he almost longed for the mundanity of a normal highschool. Normal friends. Normal relationships. For worrying about chemistry tests and crushes instead of revolution and espionage.

But he knew that life could never be his. As C.C had promised to him all those years ago, the power of Geass had isolated him.

There was no regret in his heart, but despite himself he could only reflect on what could have been.


Kusakabe came to when a bucket of ice water hit his face like a freight train. His vision faded in slowly, permeated with black spots that kept him from focusing. Gradually, he realized that he was hanging upside-down and wrapped in chains.

So he'd been captured. Wonderful.

Blindingly bright spotlights obscured the faces of his interrogators, but he could see the red and white armbands they wore. Purist thugs then. One of them leaned in close, and he could smell chewing tobacco on the man's breath.

"The JLF supplier," he demanded in badly-accented Japanese, "who is it?"

He tried to spit in the Britannian's face, but hanging upside-down it fell short. The Purist's counterpart pulled a lever and there was the brief clanking of a winch before Kusakabe plummeted downwards. The hole beneath him was filled with cold, icy water. So cold it burned. He thrashed and struggled against his bindings, but they would not give.

His lungs screamed, his heart pounded. Eventually, his body's instincts took over and forced him to inhale. Fluid entered his lungs and he felt consciousness begin slipping. Then there was the rattle of chains and he was rapidly winched out. Spluttering, he coughed up several lungfuls of water. His throat and nose ached, his heart hammered.

"The JLF supplier," repeated the Purist.

This time, his saliva hit its mark.


"Master," Kallen spoke up, interrupting Lelouch's afternoon lesson on leadership and command.

He paused mid-sentence and turned to regard her. Her interrupting him was so rare that she imagined it had caught him off-guard and piqued his curiosity. She took a deep breath. Last night, she had resolved to learn more about him, not just his lessons.

"Yes, Kallen?" he asked.

"There's something that's been bothering me. You talk of fighting for the creation of a better world, but you don't hesitate about using horrible methods to do so. Isn't that something of a... contradiction?"

Master Lelouch considered her for a brief moment, before perching himself on the corner of his desk and assuming a serious expression. "I have told this to very few people, Kallen, and I suspect that I never will again. One day, when I was a young boy on holiday at Lake Arthur near Area 1, I found myself walking along the bank of a stream when I saw a mother otter and her cubs. A very endearing sight, I am sure you will agree."

Kallen nodded slowly, unsure as to where her Master was heading with this. Whenever he told a story, she knew that he was building up to something significant.

"Even as I watched, the mother otter dove into the stream and emerged with a plump salmon, which she proceeded to drag onto her half-submerged log. As she ate it, while of course it was still alive, the body split and I remember to this day the sweet pinkness of its roes as they spilled out, much to the delight of the baby otters as they scrambled over themselves to feed on the delicacy."

He chuckled darkly, his eyes distant but sharp. "One of nature's wonders, Kallen. Mother and children dining upon mother and children. And that's when I first learned about evil. It is built into the very nature of the universe. Every world spins in pain. If there is any kind of supreme being, I told myself, it is up to me to become his superior."

"So you seek the power to rewrite the nature of the universe?" asked Kallen, still trying to puzzle out her Master's meaning.

"Not power," he replied, shaking his head. "Power is a bauble. Any thug has power. The true prize is control. When the heavy weights of the universe are balanced on the scales, all you need to know is exactly where to place your thumb. And all control starts with the self."

"Is that why you're having me learn martial arts from Ms. Shinozaki?"

"In part. You are fire, Kallen, and that's what I love about you. Yet fire, uncontrolled, can very easily burn itself out or spread dangerously. For fire to be best used, it must be tamed."

She bowed her head, reflecting on his words. "I see. Thank you for obliging me."

"Of course," he said. "It is an important lesson to learn, Kallen. Never hesitate to understand."


Growing up in India, Rakshata had never celebrated Christmas as a child—and yet that was the only feeling she could attribute to her current sensation.

A fully-equipped Knightmare research lab, funded by arguably the largest private corporation in the world and staffed by some of the brightest minds in the business. It was heaven. She pushed aside any reservations she possessed over being kidnapped and forcibly recruited.

And this Meld substance. The notion of a control rig made her mouth water.

To be one of her creations, for all intents and purposes. To look through its eyes and feel through its hands. She swore that she wouldn't so much as sleep until her Guren was rebuilt to accommodate a control rig.

Plus, Ashford's crew was top notch. Quiet, obedient, and well-trained. She never had to tell them something twice, nor explain anything beyond the advanced technicals specific to the Guren. Just as she liked it. They were nothing like the slackjawed, half-wit jackasses masquerading as technicians that the Eunuchs had supplied her with when she was under their employ.

The hidden database of unreleased Ashford productions was like a candy shop. Tantalizing ideas and threads that she hadn't even dreamed of were laid out plainly—just waiting to be developed and improved on.

It seemed that Ashford's lack of a production-model Seventh Generation Knightmare was not due to inability, merely unwillingness to release it. Or them, rather.

She supposed it made sense. Some of the brightest minds in Britannia were in Ashford's employ, working around the clock to build the deadliest war machines on earth. And yet the Gloucester was supposedly the most advanced machine they'd ever developed? It was a stalling tactic. Given her new boss' ambitions, he couldn't let Britannia conquer the E.U before he was in place.

Brilliant, really.

She'd never really been a Romantic, but she imagined that Prince Lelouch was the sort of figure you read about in legends. Titanic presences. The sort who would be measured in history books alongside Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon. Never in her life had she imagined such people to be real, but she now worked for one.

And from what she'd been told of his ultimate plans, he might just surpass all three.


"I've received word from the JLF," announced Kaguya as Ryusei stepped back behind the curtain, his message delivered. "They successfully evacuated and scuttled their base, but Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe defected with half their Knightmare forces and tried to capture the Vicereine. They were unsuccessful, and prisoners were taken. We're unsure how many or who."

Hidenbou's face tightened in disgust. "General Todoh let a subordinate run off with half his Knightmares? The man is either a traitor or simply incompetent. Either way, I propose we wash our hands of him and the JLF."

"Then who would we fight the Britannians with?" demanded Tousai. "You cannot put forward sweeping propositions without an alternative ready!"

Fatigue was finally beginning to take its toll on Kaguya. They had bickered like this the entire night. Constant accusations of treason, incompetency, and so forth. She'd subtly delayed the vote to inform the JLF of the Vicereine's actions as long as she could—hoping to ensure that they would get out too late to escape.

Unfortunately, it seemed she'd only been half successful.

"Where are the JLF now?" Taizo asked her, briefly cutting through the argument.

"In the wind," she lied. "They put in their last report, then went radio silent. They won't check in for another twenty-four hours to ensure that the Vicereine can't track their communications."

"They went off the grid without our orders?" growled Hidenbou furiously.

"Oh don't get started with that again! We can't drop the JLF! We have no alternative! Who would we go to? Zero?"

The room went silent at Tousai's rhetorical question.

Both Tousai and Hidenbou froze and turned to examine the rest of the meeting room, realizing with dawning horror the thoughts of their peers.

"Absolutely not!" they snapped simultaneously, agreeing for the first time in hours.

Taizo sipped his tea, his forehead drawn in consternation. "I don't like it either, but its an avenue that must at least be considered. I'm not proposing yielding to him—but striking a bargain that will permit us to influence and control his actions. It's obvious that he's stolen the hearts of the Japanese, and with the JLF crippled and questionably loyal, we have few other options."

Once more, Kaguya had to suppress a grin. There was no way that Zero would let Kyoto have a say in his actions. The only reason she had a foot in the door was because of her family name's significance to the Japanese.

"Need I remind you all that he kneecapped my fiance?" she growled to the assembly.

"A heinous crime," said Tatsunori, "and one we will certainly seek recompense for, but it may come down to dealing with Zero or giving up entirely. If that's the case, I'm afraid that I must vote Zero."

"Unfortunately, I must concur," voiced Hiroyoshi. "I fear that in this case, we may have to overlook personal attachments in the name of the greater good."

Tousai and Hidenbou looked murderous. "Out of the question!" the latter snapped.

"With three votes apiece, no new decision can be made. So we continue our current policy of supporting the JLF," declared Tousai confidently.

Taizo glanced at her meaningfully and Kaguya pretended to waver, before finally sighing in defeat. "We should at least talk to Zero."

Her two compatriots looked on in shock, but she soldiered on. "I hate it. I hate it more than you can imagine. But I can't put my personal feelings above Japan. I'm not going to let Zero get away with what he's done, but I think that we should at least meet with him."

Taizo nodded sympathetically. "Well, with four votes to two, we are resolved to reach out and contact Zero for a meeting as soon as possible. We will put the JLF on standby until then."


The air smelled of damp earth, the walls constantly dripped moisture. Every drop sounded like a gunshot with Todoh's headache. Half of his pilots—gone. The hidden observation units left behind had reported that Kusakabe and his defectors were butchered by the Vicerine.

He felt bad for ever having doubted Lady Kaguya. Right now, she seemed the only member of Kyoto willing to work with them. Apparently it was only thanks to her that they'd received any warning at all before Carine's trap. The rest of the Houses had been occupied quibbling with one another over who the traitor was and whether informing their own military of the Vicereine's plans would help matters.

It was thanks to her that they even had this hideout: the Doketsu Cave System. An old mining quarry that had once been owned by the Sumeragi corporation, but was now dried up and abandoned.

The drafty caverns were frigid and wet, but they were also expansive, secure, and hidden. He wasn't sure how long they would last here, however.

Food supplies were limited, and it took a fair amount of logistics to maintain the two hundred-some soldiers he had remaining. According to Lady Kaguya's most recent communication, the Houses were now debating whether to continue supporting the possibly-treasonous JLF or throw their hats in with Zero and try to hammer out some deal with the man.

Just thinking about the Houses striking a bargain with Zero after all the man had done made him angrier than he thought possible. It was the ultimate betrayal.

For the first time since Kirihara had first ordered his surrender six years ago, he questioned his loyalties.

Since he'd turned eighteen and enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army, he'd followed orders and been a loyal son of Japan. He'd fought, bled, and killed for his country. When the Britannians had forced his government to kneel, he'd continued the fight in secret, keeping the flame of old Japan alive.

And now, the second he and his compatriots became a minor inconvenience, they were being disposed of like yesterday's trash by their benefactors.

Zero. Carine. Kyoto. Everyone was against him.

His knuckles whitened as they squeezed the corners of his new makeshift desk. He had given everything for Japan. His entire life! And those bastards were going to sell the object of his protection to that worm Zero and his so-called 'Neo-Japan'?

A calm overcame him. The same sort of calm that had overtaken him when he'd first formed the JLF against his orders.

And suddenly, he knew his course.


Kaguya smirked as she left the meeting with orders to 'reach out to' Zero with 'their' agents. She'd have to call Todoh and ensure that he cut off all comms but the single satellite phone she had access to. It wouldn't do for her fellows to accidentally make contact and contradict her report.

She was actually quite proud of herself. Warning the JLF personally and putting them up in her mines had been a stroke of genius on her part. Now they trusted her, and she'd be able to hand them over to Zero.

Perhaps this would be the bargaining chip that got her a peak behind the mask.

Oh she could picture him now. Handsome, princely even. Eyes like ice that only she could warm. Fit and toned, but not excessively muscular. He'd hold her close to him and...

"Kyaa!" she squealed to herself, wiggling back and forth.

"Your Majesty?" queried Ryusei, a slightly wary expression on his face.

Remembering herself, she straightened back up. Right. "Could you let Zero know that the Six Houses want a meeting with him? And inform him of what's transpired with the JLF?"

Her bodyguard bowed at the waist. "As you command, Your Majesty."

Exhaling in exhaustion, she dug the satellite phone from her desk drawer.

It rang once. It rang twice.

It did not answer.


Thrust, parry, feint, thrust. Thrust, parry, feint, thrust. Thrust, parry, feint, thrust.

Cornelia really wished that these Spaniards would put up more of a fight. Their pathetic Conquistador frames were trash, and their pilots little better. The frames were just a step up from reinforced Glasgows, and she'd seen Number conscripts fight better than these 'elite' Spanish pilots.

She predicted that she and her forces would be in Madrid within a week. From there it was a straight shot through France to Paris, the EU's capitol. Her brother Schneizel would launch a simultaneous naval landing from the recaptured British Isles and storm the beaches. With attacks from the East and South, the French defense would crumple. And once their Central Hemicycle and symbol of unity was captured, the EU would collapse in on itself.

Then, it was just a matter of mopping up.

Feeling bored, she pulled her frame back and let her Glaston Knights handle the garbage. They pressed forward in a charge through the city's narrow streets, spearing enemy frames all the way.

"Your Highness, is everything alright?" her Knight Guilford asked, concerned.

"It's fine," she answered. "I'm just tired. I'll be heading back to the G-1."

"As you command," he replied, immediately pulling his Gloucester into position to defend her back. She chuckled to herself. There hadn't been a decent threat since she and her forces had landed in Spain. Their defenses were dilapidated, their weapons shoddy, their tactics dated. They had no idea how to effectively employ Knightmares.

Yet her Knight still felt the need to guard her rear.

In silence, they drove back to her G-1 Command Center, positioned on a hill to provide overwatch and fire support to her forces in the city. She could see the enemy lines wavering as they were pushed further and further towards the city center. Pathetic.

She pulled into the Knightmare bay, ejecting and ignoring the technicians as they scrambled to assess and repair her frame. Honestly, it barely had a scratch.

Her boot heels clacked like a twenty-one gun salute as she marched straight-backed to the bridge. The officers snapped to attention as she entered and saluted, before she waved them back down and they continued overseeing the conquest.

"Your Highness!" greeted General Darlton as he sighted her from the strategic map. "The Prime Minister called. He asked to speak with you."

Schneizel? What did her brother want now?

"I'll take it in my quarters."

Several minutes later, she was seated at her desk and glaring at her foppish brother on her video screen. "Cornelia!" he greeted warmly. "Radiant as ever, I see. How goes the conquest of the dagos?"

"What do you want?" she demanded, in no mood for her brother's usual word games.

"Testy. I'll get right to it then. Father's reassigning you."

"WHAT?" she yelled. "That's ludicrous! Madrid's in sight! Paris after that! We could win this war inside three months!"

Her brother grimaced sympathetically. "I'm aware. But Father is more concerned with the insurrection in Area 11."

"Area 11?" she parroted. "Father is pulling me away from a straight shot towards conquering the EU just because Carine can't control her Numbers? Why is he even concerned? He never pokes his nose into specifics when it comes to our military."

"I afraid that I don't know either. Perhaps he's worried that they'll manage to disrupt our Sakuradite flow. We're burning through it so fast that we barely even have a stockpile. If we run out for even a day, it could be the foothold these Europeans need to push us back out. Either way, there's good news. First, Father only wants you. You can leave General Darlton behind to manage the forces you leave behind, so the advance will be slowed but not stopped."

He paused just long enough for Cornelia to get impatient. "And second?"

"I want this insurrection put down as quickly as possible too, so I'll be lending you the Avalon. Perhaps a little shock and awe will show these Numbers their place."

"You got it working?" she asked, surprised. To be completely honest, she'd thought it a pipe dream.

"Indeed," he said, looking pleased. "Asplund worked out the kinks in the FLOAT unit over four months ago. I'm told he just managed to miniaturize one for a Knightmare in fact. But regardless, you'll be taking it on its first test run in a low-stakes environment. Let me know how effective it is. Make sure you affairs are in order before you leave. Father wants you in Area 11 within a month."

She couldn't suppress a vicious smirk. Those filthy Elevens were going to pay dearly for delaying her campaign.


As per usual, the rest of the Board was already assembled by the time Lelouch arrived. Only Kallen wasn't there, if only because she was at his shoulder. The members were seated and the Irregulars lurked in the corners.

Those around the table stood when he entered, but he waved them back down. He assumed his place at the head of the table, while his lovely redhead took her place at his shoulder.

"Before we begin," he started routinely, "does anyone have anything to report that didn't make it into my daily briefing?"

Kewell immediately glanced at Reuben, who cleared his throat. "We're being audited, Your Highness. It seems routine, but it came completely out of nowhere. I have people in the OFR and I still didn't hear a peep about it. According to my lawyers though, everything seems official."

Frowning, Lelouch stroked his chin in thought. The OFR did like to keep hush-hush when they were about to audit a large corporation like Ashford, but at the same time...

"Perform a full security sweep, and I'll lend you a few additional Shadows just in case. These next few months need to go perfectly, and the last thing we need right now is suspicion from the Mainland."

"Thank you, Your Highness," replied Reuben, nodding his head gratefully.

Sayoko lifted her chin, and he indicated towards her.

"Both the JLF and Kyoto are fracturing. Carine moved on the JLF, but they heard and evacuated their base before scuttling it. An internal faction splintered off with half their Knightmares and tried to attack the Vicereine. They failed, and a number were captured. Highest ranking among them it seems is Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe. The remainder of the JLF followed Todoh in fleeing. Lady Sumeragi secretly set them up in some defunct mines her family once owned, but she can no longer contact them."

Lelouch furrowed his brow. "Does she know why?"

"She suspects that its due to Kyoto. They were questioning the JLF's loyalty, and after half of their Knightmares defected they also questioned their usefulness. They resolved to meet with you and see if they could persuade you to submit to them. When the Todoh learned of this, he was... upset."

"I'd imagine," smirked Lelouch. But overall, this was dangerous. The JLF in the wind with fifty Knightmares by the Shadows' estimates. Not a real threat, but enough to be annoying at a very bad time.

And Kyoto wanting to meet with him? Carine had attacked the JLF to learn of their supplier. If she'd taken prisoners, one of them would eventually break.

He sighed. Kyoto was about to become a liability. "Tell Kaguya that I'll meet with them tomorrow. As for the JLF, have our mole with Carine keep her chasing the remnants. See if the prisoners can be killed before they talk."

Sayoko bowed her head. "As you command, Master."

Surprisingly, Thomas cleared his throat next. "Ms. Chawla introduced me to something she'd been working on that I believe may prove useful for our endeavors."

"Oh?" said Lelouch, almost in sync with Ashford.

"She calls them Gefujin Disturbers. Since Sakuradite requires such a specific alignment of conditions to function, she managed to develop a device that disrupts the process. They're still small-scale, but they can knock out anything that functions on Sakuradite when they activate. Somewhat like an EMP."

Interesting. The uses for such a device abounded, so long as he could keep the secret to himself.

"Put R&D on it, with her heading the project. See if you can get a large-scale version as expediently as possible, as well as a counter."

Thomas nodded curtly. "Very well, Your Highness."

Glancing around the table to ensure that there were none else, Lelouch moved forward with his own announcement. "I am pleased to inform all of you that Kaguya Sumeragi has consented to back my bid for Emperor. Between that and Neo-Japan recruitment, I should be universally recognized as this island's sole ruler within four months."

Kallen had to suppress a smirk at that. 'Consented to back my bid for Emperor' was quite the diplomatic way of saying 'accepted my marriage proposal'. She had to admit it irked her that he had gone through with such an action without telling her—but at the same time she was forced to acknowledge her place in the grand scheme of Master Lelouch's ambitions. He loved her, and she belonged to him mind, body, and soul. And that was enough for her.

"So all that remains is making the Britannians to realize it," quipped Soresi.


"Well?" demanded Vaderbilt as he glared at his subordinates.

They shifted uncomfortably under his icy gaze, before one of them was unwillingly shunted to the position of spokesman. "We investigated the bunker's ruins as ordered, m'lord. They were mostly inaccessible, but the depth scans indicated nothing alive. If the JLF do have our Master in their custody, they took him with them before scuttling the bunker."

"I see," he intoned without inflection. It was a good tool for keeping his men on their toes. Finally, he had mercy on them. "Dismissed. Send Bartley in on your way out."

The soldiers collectively sighed in relief, before saluting and marching out of his makeshift office in the penthouse suite of the Tokyo Royale Hotel. Looking out the window, the only structure higher than he was the Vicereine's massive citadel.

As he gazed upon the towering monument to Britannian might, frustration built up inside him. Something was going on in this Area. Ashford, Carine, the JLF, this 'Zero' character, he didn't know who was responsible for it—but an entire lifetime working intelligence had given him a well-refined gut instinct.

Something was rotten, and he intended to find it.

Bartley stumbled in without knocking, and a withering glare ensured that it would never happen again. The simpering worm looked on the verge of pissing himself.

Standing from his desk, he stalked around and approached the shaking General.

"Interim-Director, I'm sor—" was as far as Bartley got before a fist like a steam piston impacted his gluttonous gut. He collapsed to his knees, wheezing and barely suppressing the sudden need to vomit.

"I apologize," hissed Vanderbilt with a venomous sweetess, "did I interrupt you concentration? Please, tell me how sorry you are."

The general opened his mouth again, only to receive a boot in the Adam's apple that left him gasping. This time, he wizened up and remained silent, merely whimpering on the penthouse floor.

Thumbing the bridge of his nose, Vanderbilt closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. The cold fury did not abate, but it became more manageable. As much as he wanted to spend a few hours teaching this useless bureaucrat of a General the extent of his failures, that would be neither productive nor all that satisfying. He settled for spitting on the man's sweat-soaked uniform and tossing a handkerchief at him.

"Clean yourself up," he ordered.

Slowly and hesitantly, Bartley rose to his feet and dabbed his forehead with the handkerchief.

Vanderbilt took the opportunity to circle around his desk and resume his seat. "Now, explain yourself."

"T-The Vicereine changed the day of the operation. She'd been waiting for some experimental frame to get finished, and apparently it was delivered a day ahead of schedule so she just went ahead."

"You're a general!" snapped Vanderbilt. "How the hell did you not know that the day of a major operation was changed?"

Bartley looked ready to feint. "I was... preoccupied."

"Preoccupied with what?"

"Well... with all this chaos and with you suddenly showing up and with Zero I got a little stressed and payed a visit to an establishment I frequent that helps alleviate such things..."

Vanderbilt glared. "Do you mean to tell me that you failed to inform me of the Vicereine's plans because you were in a whorehouse?"

The general cringed, but nodded weakly.

The knuckles on his fist itched, but Vanderbilt resisted the urge. "Get out of my sight. Make one more mistake, I'll remove your pathetic cock and ship it to your favorite doxie."

Never had he seen someone flee his office so quickly, which considering his choice of profession was saying something.


He didn't like this. The idea of deserting without a single word left a bad taste in his mouth, but at the same time it was necessary. Kyoto couldn't spit on everything he held dear and then expect him to sit idly by or politely protest.

The insult was far too grave.

And he couldn't get Lady Kaguya involved either. She'd helped them by providing those caves, but once they deserted he knew that aiding them would only bring trouble upon her. Once Kyoto came to their senses, perhaps they could work together once more. Maybe when Zero had been made to pay for his crimes. But not before. Never before.

His men had agreed. Kyoto breaking bread with Zero was unforgivable. If there was one thing to thank Kusakabe for, it was that he'd weeded out the disloyal.

Suzaku was still half-incoherent with pain medication. Now that he was awake, he'd reported partial numbness in his right hand from punching that monstrous thug of Zero's. How the masked criminal kept such a creature under his thumb was completely unknown to him.

He and his apprentice had lost so much in their lives. They were not going to lose any more.

It had been a long drive out here, but they were now secure in a temporary camp established in the woods outside the old Kururugi estate. The trees were old and thick—providing excellent cover from the air. And it was so out of the way that there was virtually no chance of them being stumbled across.

At the moment, Zero and the Vicereine were untouchable. But all he had to do was wait, and his opportunity would come.


The sun was just rising the next day when Lelouch set out for his meeting with Kyoto. His mole with Carine had just reported in that one of the JLF prisoners had broken and given her the names of their suppliers. It was now only a matter of time before their corporations were found and their secret estates raided.

Once they were captured, their supply lines would be cut and they would be pumped for information on him and his operations.

Kaguya had been informed of his intentions, so he knew that she would not interfere. The last twenty-four hours had been a mess, but she'd managed herself competently through them. Perhaps once his control of Japan was consolidated, he could put her on the ruling council to manage the country while he pursued his greater ambitions. As his Empress, it would make sense.

He took his mask off and lit a cigarette. The drive was still another fifteen minutes or so.

It was down to a smoldering dog-end by the time he reached the gate of Kyoto's safehouse, where the meeting was to take place. The gate was unmanned, but opened automatically for his car.

Putting his mask back on, he rubbed the butt out in the ash tray and double-checked his appearance.

A uniformed Jeremiah pulled the car up by the entrance, where two suited men were waiting. They escorted him and his Knight inside to a circular room where the members of Kyoto sat around the edges in seiza. Their bodyguards were arranged behind them, stern and impassive.

He knelt on the pillow provided to him, impassively staring down the Houses.

"So," he began bemusedly. "The mighty Six Houses of Kyoto. The ones who hold the JLF's leash. How are they, by the way? I hear they had a spot of trouble yesterday."

Kaguya pretended to glare, but Taizo Kirihara was the one to speak. "We are not here to discuss the JLF. We are here to discuss you, and our future relationship moving forward."

"Oh? I didn't think that we had a relationship. I believe that I've made my thoughts regarding your little collective quite clear."

Hidenbou and Tousai looked murderous. Tatsunori and Hiroyoshi seemed more in the realm of 'irritated'.

"Be that as it may," continued Taizo, "we have stood as the voice of the Japanese since the invasion. We have fought for their interests, as have you. Can we not put aside the quarrels of our houses for the greater good of the Japanese people?"

"I believe that my quarrel with you is for the greater good of the Japanese. I believe that without you, the JLF might have actually been an effective fighting force for their countrymen."

"Who are you to make that determination?" snapped Hidenbou. "I imagine that its very easy to make baseless accusations from behind a mask of anonymity."

Tousai nodded his head sharply. "I agree. If we are to negotiate on even footing, Zero must unmask. He claims to have once been involved in government, let him prove it."

Both Hiroyoshi and Tatsunori exchanged glances, before nodding in agreement. "We also support Zero unmasking."

Taizo looked down at him expectantly. "I believe that we are united in this. Unmask, Zero, or negotiations end here."

It was a power move, Lelouch knew. They needed him far more than he needed them. In fact, he didn't need them at all. He'd hoped to perhaps poach one of the more moderate ones for his inevitable ruling council, but these fools weren't even worth the trouble of his Geass.

"Does he truly speak for everyone here?" he asked slowly. "Raise your hand if he speaks for you."

Everyone but Kaguya rose their hands. Taizo had just enough time to look shocked before Lelouch snapped his fingers.

In perfect unison, the bodyguards stationed behind the five House members opened their clasped hands to reveal garrote wires—which they pulled taut around the five men's throats. They choked and wheezed, breaking china and spilling tea as they struggled against the merciless cables. Kaguya watched in morbid fascination as his men squeezed the life from her peers.

"Kaguya," he instructed over the sound of the dying men, "liquidate every asset you can into Britannian pounds. The Vicereine will uncover your corporations any hour now. Get everything you can out before she does."

He stood slowly, stretching his aching hamstrings. He hated the seiza position.

The last of the House members finally went limp, and was released by the Shadow. Two more entered, carrying a medium-sized crate between them that they set in the center of the room.

"Get the car ready," he ordered Jeremiah. The Knight nodded, and turned to depart. He approached the kneeling Kaguya and offered his hand to her.

"Let's get out of here."


Once they were clear of the driveway, Lelouch pulled the trigger of the detonator he'd been provided—reducing the Kyoto safehouse to smoldering rubble. He and his Shadows, now packed into three vehicles, rolled out towards Tokyo in a tight convoy.

Unlike usual, he did not activate the window tint to blind Kaguya. It was time for her to peek behind the curtain.

She remained mostly silent the entire drive, only peering in curiosity at the realization that they were in the actual Tokyo Settlement; the centerpiece of the Occupation.

When they entered the Ashford district, her eyes widened.

When they entered the hidden vehicle lift and began descending downwards, she looked at him in a combination of shock, horror, and awe.

The corner of his mouth tilted upwards as he pressed the sides of his mask in and pulled it off his face.

"Kaguya, welcome to Fulcrum."