Authors Note: This story is going on hiatus. I apologize, but I just have too much on my mind to focus on this story. Once school's out and a few simpler projects I'm working on are all wrapped up I'll start writing again. I apologixze for leaving you on a cliffhanger and not promising my usual weekly deadline to get a new chapter in, but there are only a handful of words written after this point and do love cliffhangers. :D

I do apologize. I'll get back to it as soon as I can!

PS. This chapter is dedicated to TheGlowyOne, for her support for my other project, and also to everyone in TSE who are also supporting/writing parts of my project. You guys all rock!

India took the key from Zero and stepped into the Knightmare, smiling at the familiar controls. "Slightly smaller than a Sutherland, but with many more features," That's how V2 had described it when teaching her the basic fundamentals. India watched Zero walk out, commanding some order through his cellphone. Turning a dial, she heard him say "And send the team at the perimeter out when the enemy's moved against the wall. Take pattern B-5," as he left, presumably to get his own Knightmare and join the fight, but India wasn't sure.

Menuvering her Knightmare through the hall to the area where the fight was taking place, she saw five or six Knightmares charging up a new type of gun that was installed on the L-wrath. Then the six at the same time, all fired their guns, completely obliterating the wall. The group moved into the fighting area and India seized her opportunity to find a quick way in, going around a scrap heap that was obviously once several Knightmares. She pursed her lips. These things had too much power for their own good. And these were the Knightmares everyone had, like Sutherlands and Glasscos before them. She held back, watching Zero's strategy play out, deciding upon the best time to jump in.

Just a few moments of observance and even an amateur could tell this wasn't Zero's element. The perfect attacks and strategies were still brilliant of course, but this was the first time Zero had ever directed an army that was better equipped and on their own turf. After Annihilating Brittania –Emperor Charles had decided rather than giving Zero small resistance in each city he'd use every last resource he had in one fight, also the fight he'd disappeared in- No nation wished to go up against the United Federation of Nations. The shrunken into almost nonexistence EU wouldn't have stood a chance, and even the Chinese federation kept its distance.

But for someone who worked as Lelouch did, the home field, man and weapon advantage was actually a disadvantage. The enemy was smaller; they could choose when to strike. Zero no longer had the advantage of choosing his enemy's position, a crucial element in many tactics he used to defeat Britannia. After all, he was the BLACK King for a reason.

Oh well, the other side was pretty much destroyed anyhow. India watched in amusement as one L-wrath was taking on two Sutherlands and almost toying with them as they fired their slash harkens at him. Smiling, India tapped into the communication line Zero was using with that particular unit, finding it fairly easy because the two Knightmares were on the same general network. "Alright B-5 take out the two Sutherlands and fire a third shot at 4 o'clock," She heard zero say through the speaker. Then, India's breath caught in her throat.

The small battle were two or three Knightmares on one mostly, the Guren and two L-wraths handling a tan and light pink Knightmare that was most likely the Justine. A reddish-orange Knightmare, petite like the L-wraths but clearly more powerful, was taking on a large Knightmare in about four different shades of blue and hovering over the fight attacking with unusual blue lasers. The red one which India assumed was the Redaxe, had about twelve L-wraths helping it take out maybe four L-wraths and the flying blue Damistus. Twelve L-wraths were attacking the Vincent and four Sutherlands, taking too much time and too many men for each move because the Vincent was one of their more prized Knightmares and they would not damage it beyond repair if at all possible. Small one on one fights between L-wraths were everywhere, but the enemy had already lost most of its power at Zero's strategic hands.

But none of this was what bothered India. Through a wall that had been blown to pieces by the Damistus, she could see more Sutherlands were arriving. Not just arriving, but within striking distance of the L-wrath currently mopping the floor with those Sutherlands in front of them. This was the problem with Zero being out of his element. Though coming up with strategies like lightning, he didn't prepare for anything unexpected.

Like the BSB being not quite dead.

L-Wraths were tough, but a simultaneous slash harken attack would take that unit out. The angle the Sutherlands were coming at caught her eye, and she knew she couldn't hesitate. Using the same communication line Zero had, she yelled "B-5, advance your unit pronto! Trust me!" just as he was finishing up with what he thought was his last unit. The L wrath shot forwards about a foot, turning swiftly to see two slash harkens coming at him. However, India had warned him just in time and the slash harkens collided with each other. Drawing a single MVS (another feature they'd equipped to the L-Wrath. The two weapons, along with superior speed and durability, made a Sutherland no match for it) India rushed one Sutherland, slicing it in half before the user could eject. "Four o'clock, remember?" She yelled at the brainless git in the L-Wrath, who'd forgotten his orders.

"How'd you get this communication? It's supposed to go directly to Zero!" A response came back to her, and she recognized the voice as Tamaki. Figures.

"It's not hard to tap a communication line when we're on the same network!" She snapped, dodging an attack and shooting my Slash harken right through the other Sutherland that had come to attack Tamaki. "Now I could use some help, there's at least six more Sutherlands here and one on six isn't very good odds, even if these ARE just Sutherlands!"

"But I'd be breaking formation!" Tamaki yelled at her. Then Zero came on, using a line that went to all the Knightmares. "D squad, separate using formation B-5. D-1, D-2, D-3 Split off formation and move to area E-4. C-2, move in and join D-4 through -10 to battle with the Justine. B-5, Go back with T-1 and Deal with the reinforcements,"

"T-1?" Tamaki questioned.

"He means me you idiot!" India yelled, surprised as Tamaki that she'd been assigned a number.

Though Tamaki clearly wasn't happy about it, He moved his L-wrath around and helped India fight the six off. Suddenly a female voice rang, loud and clear, from the Justine. "If you think we'll give up then you're dreaming!"

"Amy, your reinforcements have been destroyed, your Knightmare outnumbered and outmatched, and your unit surrounded. How can you possibly expect to win this? A male voice India didn't know said from one of the L-Wraths still surrounding the Justine. India detected a slight hint of bitterness in the tone. Maybe these two pilots were former friends?

"I still have a card to play," Amy Reel said from inside her Knightmare. "Behold, the jewel of the Brittanian Empire! Diamond Shot!"