AN: It begins.
Just to be clear, the area dubbed 'Narita' in CG isn't actually Narita.
So the logical explanation is that the Britannians fucked up the maps in the first year of the occupation and by the time anyone noticed, nobody gave a damn anymore and just added a 2 to the name of the town a-la Tokyo-3.
It makes more sense than any other alternative.
September 7, 2017 ATB.
Ashford Academy Swimming Pool, Ashford Academy, Area 11.
Lelouch checked through a list of potential recruits on his laptop as he heard N.N. dive into the water nearby. Scrolling past Saburo Okawachi's profile he found himself on that of Diethard Ried after switching to the next page. "Hmm? A Britannian? Looks too confident to be a spy, an extremist or…?"
"Isn't it just wonderful how the number of recruits just keeps growing? Even a number of Britannians and Reploids are beginning to apply to join." N.N. noted as she floated past, a smirk on her face as usual.
He reclined in his seat. "And it was simpler than I could've imagined. While I bitterly hate the Britannian government and its policies, I likewise don't condone terrorism, these are the prevailing views of most Elevens. Naturally this means that certain prospective allies such as Peace Mark immediately retracted their hands of aid, as my means and their means conflict on principle."
"But in turn basically that means most Elevens support the Black Knights to some degree." C2 noted as metallic footfalls on the tile announced her arrival.
"Which in turn makes it easier for us to operate as a whole. It's a huge help that people don't report our activities to the Britannians. Plus I hear that Kyoto, the group that's rumored to be supporting the JLF and the other primary insurgent groups, is interested in sending us new equipment. The number of informants has also risen dramatically as well." Lelouch acknowledged
C2 stopped next to Lelouch and glanced over at N.N. as she floated by. "The Japanese just can't help jumping on the bandwagon when they hear a well-grounded buzzword." He stated with a smirk on his face.
"Hence the Knights for Justice act." C2 noted as N.N. climbed out of the water, the Reploid tossing the immortal a towel.
"Yeah well, everybody loves a hero, and what better hero than a knight?" He asked as C2 snorted.
N.N. shrugged and giggled as she dried herself off. "I sincerely doubt that's what a real knight for justice would say, especially the chivalrous hero-knights of legends."
"You don't think so?" Lelouch asked.
"Well, it would depend on how arrogant they are."
Lelouch simply kept smirking in response.
September 7, 2017 ATB.
Hi-TV offices, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11.
Diethard sighed as he turned to face Jeremiah and Viletta. "Yes I was demoted from my position as well, despite the fact that Zero would likely have overrode any broadcast commands after hijacking our equipment. Much in the same way that what happened to you wasn't your fault."
Jeremiah clicked his tongue but showed no other sign of responding.
"Trust me when I say we have no intention of letting ourselves go quietly into the night." Viletta replied darkly as she leaned over Diethard's desk. "And we have the sneaking suspicion that you don't either."
"Well, who can say?" Diethard replied with a smirk.
Jeremiah turned to him confidently. "We have a lead that may help us find Zero." He stated, dangling the bait in front of Diethard.
Viletta suppressed a smirk upon seeing that they had the media man's full and undivided attention.
"Have you heard of Ashford Private Academy? I want to investigate a male student there that I suspect of being linked to Zero."
"And why can't you do this yourselves? Surely you would be able to given the broad discretionary powers given to the military?" Diethard inquired as he folded his hands in front of him in an ambassador's pose.
"Viletta and I are going to be elsewhere on deployment over the course of the next week, which is why we're asking you to handle this." Jeremiah stated, keeping his mouth shut about Narita.
"Hmm to the Narita range I take it?" The Newsman asked slyly as he tapped away at his desktop. "Going to finish the Japan Liberation Front once and for all I presume, given that their HQ is rumored to be in the mountains near Narita-2."
The two pureblood members glanced at eachother. "How did you come across this information?"
"You'd be surprised by what random NCOs start spouting off when they drink themselves into a stupor while barhopping on liberty." He replied smarmily.
Jeremiah glanced at him. "You're too clever for your own good, that could get you killed one day."
Diethard chuckled. "You overestimate me, it was actual coincidence that I found out about this information."
September 8, 2017 ATB.
Warehouse District, Yokohama Port Concession, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11.
It was the early hours of the eighth when two hundred or so new recruits of the Black Knights entered the warehouse Zero had requested them to meet in, each one standing in formation as C2 inspected them, the Reploid glancing about, checking their service uniforms for blemishes or bugs.
"Alright, Companies, fall in." She ordered after deeming them satisfactory, leading them into a much larger warehouse, where a set of spotlights blared to life, revealing Panzer-Hummels and Burais standing about alongside several armored vehicles and lighter ground transports.
"Wow this is amazing!" One of them chattered.
"These are Glasgows right?" Another asked.
"Burais, a Japanese modification boasting improved systems and armor. Not quite on par with a Sutherland but they close the gap well enough." An ex-JLF soldier explained to the awed recruits.
One of the recruits stopped in front of a line of Burais each with specialized equipment, spiked arm shields, drills, gatling cannons, massive gripping claws, sattel waffen type missile launchers mounted on the cockpit modules, and even a pair of artillery cannons mounted over the shoulders of a couple units.
"These must be the special modified types!" Someone exclaimed as the core veteran Black Knights stared at a much different unit nearby.
The Guren Mark-II.
"Those guys from Kyoto… They believe in us!" Sugiyama breathed as he stared at the machine and its gleaming red and orange paint job, the brilliant silver of the wave surger arm contrasting with the bright colors.
"They sent us this… The first Knightmare design built specially for Japan…"
"Third actually." Minami corrected. "The Guren Mark One and the Burai Kai precede this type."
"Still..."
"The Guren Mark Two…" A somewhat oblivious Kallen whispered as she stared at the Knightmare as C2 stomped over and glanced at it rather pensively, even inactive it held an aura about it, one of raw destructive power.
"Heh, I'm really lovin' this." Tamaki chuckled as the others began to chat amongst themselves about its specs. "The big-shots in Kyoto are recognizing us! We've got their approval!"
"Tamaki-san! Will you show me how to use this equipment please!" A female recruit shouted from near one of the Burais, using an honorific freely in the settlement area for what was likely the first time in years.
"Sure! I'll be right there!" He shouted back as he rushed over, the others following, leaving Kallen and C2 staring at the Guren.
"Newbies, what are you gonna do?" Inoue joked as they walked away.
Kallen and C2 glanced over at Zero after hearing his approaching footsteps.
="First Tamaki and now Inoue and the rest are treating this like a party."= He observed as he emerged from the shadows.
="Kyoto is backing multiple resistance groups correct?"= He asked her, placing a hand on his hip.
Kallen turned to face him with a smile on her face. "Yes, which means that we've finally made it in, they know that we're worthy of their support."
="No, you're wrong there Kallen. This is merely a test that they've put to us, to see if we're worth expending the resources on."=
"So what if it is? This is still incredible! No more of just refurbished JLF Burais and second-hand Panzer-Hummels!"
="You are an optimist, I envy that."= He said and tossed her the Guren's activation key as C2 handed him a list of supply costs. ="Nevertheless I'm keeping our supply chains open and am negotiating for Soviet, European and Chinese made equipment on the Black Market, notably I won a rather tight auction for a number of export-type Kalinka units that had been purchased by Peace Mark before they reneged on payment."= He informed her.
Kallen nodded and then looked at the activation key. "I see… Anyways what's this?" She inquired.
="The Guren Mark Two is yours now Kallen. Use its power wisely."=
"Mine?! But we have a lot more people now and we can't afford to lose you! We need the Guren's defenses to protect you!" She replied rather hurriedly.
="You're a top notch pilot, I'm a commander who's only average in a Knightmare. Therefore I'll use a Burai, as I lack the skills and reflexes needed to make the best use of the Guren in combat, while Q2 is physically incapable of utilizing it due to Sakuradite's tendency to interfere with unshielded Reploid systems. This leaves you as our only possible Knightmare ace to play during a battle. Besides… You have a reason to fight."= He informed her.
Kallen gasped and then looked down at the key, remembering the fact her mother was currently recovering in a Britannian prison ward thanks to her abuse of Refrain, a criminal act for anyone in Britannia much to the chagrin of the progressives from what she'd seen, heard, and read in the news.
"Right…" She replied.
"Zero. You got a second?" Ohgi asked as he walked over, Zero handing the data he'd been looking at back to C2. "We got some weird intel from a Britannian who wants to join up with the Black Knights." Ohgi stated as he held up a folder.
Lelouch blinked behind his mask. "Is this the work of Diethard Reid…?" He wondered as Ohgi handed him the files.
"This might be a trap to draw us out. I'd say even if we wanted to confirm the operation that it's too risky to contact him directly. But news like this isn't something we should just ignore, what should we do?" He asked as Zero read though the info before snapping the folder shut.
="This weekend we're going hiking."= He stated simply.
Ohgi was taken aback by that. "What?"
="Q2, I want you to head out to the Narita Mountains ahead of us and do a geological survey of the summit of the largest mountain."= He ordered.
"Roger." C2 stated as she turned and marched out.
"Geological survey…? What's going on?"
="We're deploying all present and active forces barring our reserves under Kusukabe to the Narita mountains."= Zero replied plainly. ="Marshal the troops, prepare alibis and move out at 0800 hours on Friday."= He ordered.
"Understood… Is there anything we need in specific?"
="Once Q2 reports in I'll create a 'shopping list' for our equipment needs. Be sure to bring plenty of tents and sleeping bags with the supplies as well."=
"Right. What should I tell the others…?" Ohgi asked.
="Tell them we're going on maneuvers in the area to coordinate our forces with Kusukabe, we can't have anyone blabbing about the intel we've gotten, loose lips sinking ships and all."=
Both Kallen and Ohgi nodded in agreement.
September 13, 2017 ATB.
Lamperouge Residence, Ashford Academy, Area 11.
Lelouch tapped away at his laptop as he and N.N. conversed about the upcoming mission.
"The advance troops are on their way with C2 and I've roughly determined the strength of the JLF garrison at Narita thanks to Kusukabe's intel." He told her as he leaned back.
"Someone sounds pleased with themselves." N.N. said as she rolled onto her side and gave him a wry smirk.
"Very, I can finally pay back Cornelia for Saitama with interest."
"Someone's also a sore loser." She prodded.
"Does anyone honestly like to lose?" He asked while raising an eyebrow at her.
N.N. rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Goes with the bloodline I guess." She muttered.
His look changed to a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"
There was a knock at the door. "Lelouch? You in there?"
Both Lelouch and N.N. froze as Suzaku knocked again at the door. "Nngh… Suzaku!" He hissed softly.
"Hey, you got a minute so I can come in and talk to you about something?" Suzaku asked.
"Uuhhn! Hold on! My room is a mess!" He informed his friend as he scrambled to his feet and grabbed N.N. off the bed.
"Hey! What're you!? Stop it!" She hissed at him and began to claw at his arm as he stuffed her underneath the bed after knocking several non-incriminating research articles onto the floor.
"Come on!" He hissed back at her as he managed to get her under the bed, the immortal glaring at him furiously.
"I might as well help you clean up then!" Suzaku said as he pressed the doorswitch. "I'm coming in!" He said as the door hissed open.
Lelouch turned to see Suzaku looking down at him, the former sweating a bit from his exertions. "Oh hey Suzaku…"
"Why are you underneath the bed…?" His friend asked, a contemplative hand on his chin.
"Oh I just dropped something."
"Lelouch… Stuffing me down here is going to cost you big time." N.N. whispered to him in irritation.
Although… Being seen by Suzaku was a can of worms she was admittedly not willing to deal with at the moment.
"Be silent." He whispered back as he slipped out from under the bed and stood up, fixing his friend in a glare. "Listen Suzaku I know we're friends and all but walking into my room like this is rude, this isn't the military where an NCO will burst into your quarters at any given moment for an inspection."
"I knocked…" Suzaku replied, not getting Lelouch's point.
"You're supposed to wait until I say come in. Why don't you think before you do things? For the love of god just use your head for once. You've always been like that, barging into places whenever you feel like."
Suzaku smirked. "Oh have I?" He replied rather smarmily.
"Yes, if you would respect people's privacy for on-"
"Lelouch, you're just too secretive. Even back at the estate you had your pork buns, bean crepes, and that stuffed weasel toy." He noted.
"Stuffed Weasel toy? I've gotta tell C2 about that." N.N. thought, a smirk growing on her face.
Lelouch brought a hand up to stop Suzaku from going on. "Hold on! You remember all that but forget everything else?" He questioned.
"What? Whaddya mean? I don't forget everything!" Suzaku stated, putting his hands on his hips.
"You do, like that time we wanted to send messages nobody else would understand so I came up with that great secret code!" Lelouch replied, crossing his arms.
Suzaku gestured off to the side. "Which was impossible to lean, there were like five hundred different hand signals, even Todoh couldn't make heads or tails of it and he's trained in non-verbal communication!"
"I remembered them." Lelouch muttered indignantly.
Suzaku chuckled "That's because your memory retention is as freakish to me as my athletic abilities are to you. And in the end you changed it to a simpler code, didn't you?"
Lelouch sighed in exasperation and put a hand to his forehead. "That's because you couldn't read the messages."
"Well thank you Lelouch for all that extra effort." Suzaku chirped sarcastically as he threw his arms up into the air.
"Dork… Don't just say thank you like that…" He looked back up. "You know… You've changed since then…"
"Have I?"
Lelouch nodded. "You have, everything used to be me, me, me. You were completely self-centered."
"You've also changed… Now you're a bit more rough. And now you're seventeen. So of course…" Suzaku chuckled, placing his hands on his hips.
"Of course what?" Lelouch asked, genuinely confused.
"You've got a girlfriend now don't you?" Suzaku noted, walking over to the bed and plucking one of N.N.'s blond hairs off it. "See, there's a long hair over here. It's not Nunnally's or C2's is it?"
N.N. gasped lightly underneath the bed. "Thank god he's not as paranoid as Lelouch…"
"What?! Don't be absurd that doesn't mean it's from a girl!" Lelouch denied hastily.
"You don't need to hide it, we both know you're not gay." Suzaku noted as Lelouch resisted the urge to break out into sputtering. "Of course I won't tell Nunnally or Milly about this either. Besides, we're both seventeen now so things like this are perfectly natural."
"Things like this… Like what?" Lelouch wondered.
"What's she like… I'm curious." Suzaku inquired as he sat down on Lelouch's desk chair.
"Huh…? Oh… How do I describe her…" Lelouch said as he tapped on his chin. "Well she's not easy to figure out…"
"So she's kinda mysterious?" Suzaku asked, raising an eyebrow, a smirk growing on his face.
"I guess you could say that…"
"Is she cute?"
"No." Lelouch said flatly. "No, she's the farthest thing from cute."
"The homemaker type…?"
"Absolutely not, she's lazy, never lifts a finger so I have to do everything for her." Lelouch stated.
Suzaku frowned and cocked his head. "You sure she's the right girl for you…?" He asked. "You don't mix very well with people you feel or know you can't count on."
Lelouch smirked and shrugged. "True. She causes endless problems for me, her clothes are a mess, she's stuck up, selfish, a constant annoyance, and she's always stuffing her face with junk food."
"Why that little bastard!" N.N. grit her teeth and began kicking at the bed, causing it to jerk slightly.
"Lelouch… Did the bed just move…?" Suzaku asked as Lelouch tried to think of a reasonable answer.
"Ah, uh, maybe my alarm clock went off…" He lied hastily. "You fool! He'll never go for that!" He thought to himself.
"Alarm clock…?" Suzaku repeated, confused.
Of course, this was Suzaku he was talking to.
"It's the new function I installed… Anyway Suzaku why'd you come over at this time of night?" He asked.
"Oh! I came to give you back your math notes!" Suzaku said as he pulled the articles out from under his jacket and handed them to Lelouch. "They were a huge help, and now I'll be able to pass the exam next week!"
Lelouch took them from him. "Exams are essentially games where your opponent poses questions. If you can anticipate how your opponent thinks. It's easy." He explained.
"Classic Lelouch." Suzaku noted, dropping the issue of the bed entirely.
"But why make a special trip, you could've given them back in class tomorrow." He noted.
"I've got a work trip starting tomorrow." Suzaku admitted sheepishly.
Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "As a military engineer?"
"Huh oh, right. it's trip to go inspect a factory."
"The Knightmare plant in Shizuoka?" Lelouch asked.
"Uh yeah, you're well informed… Aren't you?"
Lelouch smirked. "I read about it online." He replied.
"Lelouch… You're not involved with anything dangerous, are you?" Suzaku asked candidly.
"Of course not, the last thing I want is to make Nunnally cry." Lelouch half-lied to him.
Suzaku stood up and rubbed the back of his head. "Right… Yes. Of course. Sorry I didn't mean anything. Well, time to go… Gotta get up early." He noted as he headed towards the door, giving Lelouch a wave as he walked out.
"Right, see ya." Lelouch replied, giving him a wave back as the door shut and he relaxed.
N.N. poked her head out from under the bed, blond hair splayed out all over the floor. "That was a first." She noted as she pulled herself out from underneath the bed. "I've never heard our relationship described quite like that."
"Lying is an art form, to succeed the lie must have some truth woven into the fabric of deception."
She smirked at him as she stood up. "Oh and here I thought you were confessing your true feelings for me?"
"Don't be absurd, me with a bizarre girl like you? Not possible." He stated flatly. "Are you mad at me now?" He inquired as he glanced over at her.
She cocked her head. "Should I be? Anyways you're lucky your friend isn't getting stationed over at Narita."
"Suzaku's not a combat engineer, there's no way he'd be sent to the front lines." He replied as he sat down on his chair and got back to work. "Besides, Cornelia won't willingly use numbers in battle as a matter of pride."
"You know, you're always so fond of saying that the only ones who should kill, are those that are prepared to be killed." She stated as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes."
She turned on her heel to look at the door. "Then let me ask you this… Are you prepared to kill, not just order someone to kill, but to personally take the life of someone who has done nothing wrong but stood in your way without even realizing it, even someone very important to you?" She questioned, Lelouch stiffening in response.
"Or are you merely willing to die like a noble martyr, but are not yet willing to fully walk the path of blood?" N.N. inquired as she turned to face him.
"I am." Lelouch replied confidently.
N.N. raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"
"Enough!" He snapped, slamming his fist down on his desk. "Anyone who stands in my way, no matter who it is, when the time comes… I'll do it."
N.N. smirked. "But will you hold that resolve? It's so easy to just say something but when it comes down to it, actions will matter more than empty words." She thought darkly as she laid down on the bed.
September 14, 2017 ATB.
Lamperouge Residence.
Nunnally sat up in her bed as Sayoko walked over with her clothes for the day. "Sayoko, we won't need any breakfast for my brother this morning."
"He's going out?" The Maid inquired.
"He'll be leaving on a three-day trip starting today and he's bringing C2 with him." Nunnally replied warmly.
Sayoko smiled, like Nunnally she was still in the dark about his 'activities'. "Oh I see, he's being going out quite a bit recently, you think it's a girlfriend?" She asked as she walked off, Lelouch having clarified that N.N. was only a friend of his quite some time ago.
Nunnally hummed softly. "Huh… Maybe it is…" She whispered to herself.
Nunnally honestly didn't know how she actually felt about that, one the one side she wanted her big brother to be happy...
On the other, she honestly didn't know how she'd continue on without Lelouch being there for her.
The girl frowned pensively. "How troubling..." She thought.
September 14, 2017 ATB.
Narita Range, Honshu, Area 11.
"This is sector five, nothing to report." A JLF soldier radioed to HQ from the isolated guard station he and his watch-buddy were posted at.
["Copy that sector five. Continue to maintain watch until next shift arrives."] The operator he was talking to replied.
"Right, the next scheduled report will be in two hours." The guard acknowledged as before hanging up the landline and walking back over to the table where his partner was sitting with a Go board and sat down.
"Of course there's nothing to report, this place belongs to the Japan Liberation Front, nobody can just stroll in." The other man said as the latch of one of the two doors of the building clicked and it began to open. "Huh?" He mumbled as both soldiers turned to face the door.
Standing there in the doorway was the intimidating figure of Zero, a modified Burai kneeling over outside.
"How?! We should've heard something!?" The second man thought as he picked up his carbine and flicked the safety of.
"Zero!" His partner shouted as they scrambled to their feet, only to stop when they watched him reach up to the sides of his head.
="Relax."= Zero said placatingly as he removed his trademark mask, leaving both men stunned by the young Britannian face underneath. "I only came here to talk." Lelouch said as he called upon his Geass. "Therefore, I want you to ignore any unusual activity during your watch." He ordered, both men relaxing as they fell into its trance.
"Sure, no problem." One of the soldiers said as he and his partner picked up the chairs and placed the carbine back into the rack it had been resting in beforehand.
"Come on! It's your turn!" The other man jabbed as they picked up the chairs and returned to their game of Go.
"What's the rush? We're just on regular duty you know?"
Lelouch remained impassive as he watched them play before turning and nodding at C2, who'd marched over from where she'd been standing near the Zero-custom Burai. "I need you to head down to the city at the foot of the mountain in your civilian form… What was it called again?" He asked, racking his brain for the name.
"If you're talking about the town, I have no idea, the name was literally wiped off the map during early years of the occupation due to bureaucratic incompetence, everyone just calls it Narita-2 as some kind of in-joke that eventually became the official name apparently." She replied.
He sighed and nodded. "Signal the others then head down as I previously ordered you to."
"Roger." C2 replied before shifting into the 'Bright Man' data set and checking her buster. "By the way, try not to intervene in their game, I know it's tempting."
Lelouch snorted at her derisively. "I prefer Chess to Go, besides, that game is ill suited for my current mindset anyways. Holding territory is not the preferred tactic for a guerrilla force."
She shrugged before walking outside and 'blinking' the signal in the direction of the waiting command group for the Black Knights in the hills nearby.
A Burai's factsphere closed up after detecting the flash signal. ["Signal from Zero confirmed, we're now moving to waypoint two."]
A group of trucks, Burais, Jeeps, APCs, light SPAA vehicles, and Panzer-Hummels rumbled forwards, the Guren nestled among them, while several trailers were being towed between the standard-type Burais.
["Hey, why doesn't Zero just use the radio on his Burai?"] Someone asked as the convoy rumbled up the mountain road.
["He said we're supposed to be operating under radio silence and only to use point to point comms."] Ohgi reminded them.
["What do you suppose he meant when he said hiking?"] Another Black Knight questioned.
["Military training?"]
["Only with Zero in another location."] Someone, probably Inoue, groused.
["I thought we were supposed to meet with Kusukabe's ex-JLF guys?"]
["Maybe we'll dig a hot spring? We brought the drill-type Burais and the remote excavator drills along for a reason right?"]
["If that's why we brought them then hell, I'm all for it!"]
["Kallen? You heard anything about this?"] Tamaki radioed her as she studied a textbook.
"Mmh! I haven't…"
["You Ohgi?"]
["Nope, not a word, although he did send Q2 to survey the area last week…"]
["Survey the area? What is she a walking multitool?"] Tamaki muttered.
"Zero mentioned it to me after I asked about why she was being sent. Apparently her base design was derived from that of a Geological Survey Reploid. It's why she has those drills." Kallen added as she adjusted the Guren's course with a remote.
["I guess everyone has to start from somewhere."] Ohgi noted before his countenance hardened. "Zero isn't using the Radio to avoid being traced… Is he serious about this…?"
C2 passed the group as she descended towards the town, reflecting on what truly made Knightmares so innovative.
The fact that the control setups of military types weren't much different from civilian models. In a way they were like heavily armed jeeps in that if you knew how to drive the civilian type, you could drive the military type with minimal (re)training compared to conventional armor like tanks or personnel carriers.
"Hmph, I guess there are always ways to surprise someone in warfare." She mused as she headed towards the town below at sprinting pace, or at least for her, in actuality she could probably keep up with some older MBTs off-road at this speed.
Her objectives were simple, monitor for any sign of Cornelia moving troops through or evacuating the town. If discovered she was to engage in combat, flanking the enemy main forces, destroying targets of opportunity and working her way towards their rear lines to hopefully capture a G-1 or destroy supply depots or artillery batteries in order to draw pressure off the Black Knights and JLF. Lelouch had made it abundantly clear to everyone that most moderate Britannians were likely on the fence about the Black Knights currently, and that intentionally targeting medical units and field hospitals would surely turn both them and their current supporters away.
"You're leading a resistance group, yet you uphold yourself and them to the Geneva conventions, by doing so you force Cornelia to uphold that same standard lest she incite dissent among her own ranks in addition to the civilians." C2 whispered to herself as she reached the town after another few minutes, shifting back into her civilian mode, wearing some clothes Lelouch had acquired for her and put a cap on her head before walking into town, folding her head antennas back instinctively.
Admittedly Reploids didn't particularly need clothing, it was just done because they wished to feel included in human society.
The streets were eerily quiet for an urban area this size, indicating that the inhabitants had realized that something big was about to happen and either fled in advance or sought shelter. The amount of vehicles parked around indicated that many had chose the latter.
"Problematic… But not something I can't deal with." She whispered as she clambered up a fire escape on the side of an office tower, pulled out her binocs and a burner phone and settled in to wait, frowning as she spotted several groups of Maverick Hunter transport vans and patrol cars enter the town, along with three very familiar Reploids on two ride chasers and a single ride armor.
"Again with them...? Is this predestined or just bad luck on my part?" She whispered.
Lelouch sighed as he read a folder of report sightings that the JLF guards had been logging in. "The day I've waited for has finally come Cornelia… Now that you've returned from Area 18…" He mused as the two guards played Go, still under the effects of his Geass.
Briefly he wondered what the conditions of his command activating were, would it only last for this shift in particular or would it last for every guard shift these two men were ever on?
He frowned pensively, C2 had raised the issue after finding out about the carving girl, noting that if his Geass never wore off then she would be compelled to return to Ashford ever single day for the rest of her life to make a mark on the wall. Simple logic that he hadn't seen in his rush to test his power.
Without thinking he'd destroyed an innocent person's life, she'd never be able to hold a job or have a family due to the compulsion and would likely be committed to an asylum once she graduated from Ashford.
He sighed again. "I should've worded things more carefully…" He thought as he flipped to the next page. "The commands I set can be incredibly detrimental to someone if I don't provide precise conditions for them to activate or to carry out my orders…"
He spotted something out of the corner of his eye and looked up, glancing over to see N.N. standing outside, gazing out over the mountain range.
"What the…?"
"We're certain that the Japanese Liberation Front's headquarters are in this area." Darlton reported to Cornelia as the line of G-series landships, consisting of the G-1 command ships Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally, the G-2 artillery landships Pelham, Truman, Alexander and Forrest, the G-3 AA cruisers Rosecrans and Sumter alongside the G-7 logistics landships Plentiful, Bountiful and Prolific, the G-8 KMF carrier landships Roosevelt and Pershing and the clearly marked G-9 medical landships Pity and Charity all rumbled towards Narita-2 and the mountain it laid at the foot of.
Tanks, trucks, jeeps, APCs, SPAAGs, tank destroyers, Self-propelled artillery, direct fire SPGs and their ilk rumbled towards the mountain in the shadows of the titanic landships, seeming like Remoras schooling among Whale Sharks.
"We've already split four Knightmare Battalions into seven units and hidden them in the vicinity, the remainder of the two divisions we're bringing will be the followup forces." He and the other officers turned to face Cornelia while Euphie continued to gaze at the map displaying the approaching conventional forces and the remainder of the Knightmare units they were deploying.
"At this juncture we're awaiting the Viceroy's command so that we may destroy them with one fell swoop." Darlton stated.
Euphie glanced over at her sister. "Are you confident that the enemy won't appear outside the encirclement line?" She inquired.
Cornelia cocked an eyebrow. "You mean Zero?"
Darlton turned to Euphie. "Have no fear about that." He stated confidently. "As the operation begins, we'll be blocking off the main highways and mountain roads leading in and out of the combat area." The General informed her. "And even if he should somehow be here beforehand, he's outnumbered and outgunned a thousand to one."
"Plus we have several battalions in reserve. Plus, if things do somehow get dicey, Colonel and Iris are in charge of artillery and air support aboard the Princess Nunnally. So if Zero's indeed stupid enough to show up it'll be the end of him." Cornelia noted.
Euphie nodded. While it was nice to be near Iris again after the latter had been pulled back from the Maverick Hunters once the Black Knights had been revealed, she would've preferred to be near her friend in person.
"N.N. what are you doing here?" Lelouch asked as he approached the blond-haired immortal, whom was wearing a stolen Black Knight's combat uniform no less and carrying a rifle in her arms, with his helmet under his arm.
She turned to fix him in her gaze. "I said I'd protect you remember? I'm immortal, you're not."
"Aren't you overdoing it?" He asked her, glaring at the stolen weapons, and noting that she had an M72 launcher slung over her back and was carrying an M14 outfitted for use as a designated marksman rifle.
She turned to gaze out over the mountains again. "I've been wondering something… Why are you Lelouch?"
"I don't have time to discuss philosophy with you." He snapped.
"Make some then. You changed your family's surname to your mother's maiden name, Lamperouge, yet you keep your given name." She noted, ignoring his comment. "How sentimental… You can't let go of the past can you?"
"Well N.N. swings to the other extreme doesn't it? That's something you'd hear given to a Reploid or Mechaniloid when they're first activated. It's just not a name you'd associate with a human."
She turned to him, a smirk on her face as her eyes gleamed gently. "Lelouch do you know why coal and oil are black?" She inquired as some snow fell, blown in from a distant peak, cutting off his questions.
He frowned, that was a philosophy question he'd never heard of before.
Briefly he wondered why she hadn't asked something about snow before shoving the thought aside.
"Why are coal and oil black?" He asked, deciding to humor her.
"Because they don't know what color they're supposed to be after being dug up." N.N. replied cryptically.
["All primary attack force units are now in position."] Someone reported over the radio as Cornelia smirked, sitting in the cockpit of her Gloucester.
"Understood. Euphemia will command our logistical elements from G-1 Prince Lelouch as planned. Reserve and support combat elements will be commanded by Colonel and Iris from G-1 Princess Nunnally. Have the Prince Lelouch stay back with the medical group, the Bounty and the Rosecrans." Cornelia ordered as she prepared to launch.
["Princess Cornelia…"]
She frowned. "Guilford… This is about Euphie isn't it…?"
["Yes she really should be in a government agency… Not…"]
Cornelia closed her eyes and shook her head. "Mm… She's being unusually stubborn about this… She told me that she wanted to see actual combat for herself so that she's more prepared for when she takes over as Viceroy."
Euphie blinked as she noted a white and gold marker on the map, behind both the logistical line and the combat support line.
"What's that unit holding back behind the rear area?" She asked one of the officers next to her.
"That would be that ASEEC unit with the Eleven pilot."
"What? You mean that's the Lancelot? Wouldn't it be more prudent to move it up to the combat support line?" She questioned.
"As a rule numbers aren't permitted to operate Knightmares, but that specific unit answers to the Second Prince and has broad discretionary powers to utilize assets that fall under their control, and he says that he wants them to have as many chances at real combat as possible. The Viceroy naturally opposes this and thus they're in a position of limbo." The third officer stated as Euphie pursed her lips pensively.
"Suzaku... Will you have to fight today?"
Ohgi watched as the excavators tunneled further into the soil and rock after being emplaced in holes bored by the Drill-type Burais.
He heard Zero walk over to him and turned to face the masked man. "Are you really going through with this?" Ohgi asked as he took his helmet off.
="Our opponent is Cornelia, whose forces are among the most well trained and led Britannia has to offer from its regulars."=
"Then why don't we cooperate with the Japanese Liberation Front…?" He murmured.
="What was that?"= Zero asked, feigning hurt. ="Ohgi… Don't you believe in me anymore?"=
Ohgi turned to look at Zero. "What do you mean? I was the one who asked you to be our leader, remember!"
="Then there's only one answer to give."= Zero replied as he continued to watch the excavators dig deeper into the ground.
["Viceroy… It's time."] Darlton informed Cornelia as she thumbed the firing stub on her Gloucester's left hand control yoke.
"Right… Commence operation!" She ordered as she launched out of the Prince Lelouch's starboard Knightmare catapult.
"You, the Japanese Liberation Front. You who time has left behind… You who have forgotten basic human decency. You and your dream of a bygone golden age shall fall and be left to rot to nothingness!" She declared as Knightmares, Heavy Mechaniloids and Ride Armors emerged from seemingly every nook and cranny in the area while others launched from air and ground transports, followed soon after by tanks and APCs with infantry units supporting them.
"We're under enemy attack!?" Katase questioned as he marched into his command center, spotting the immense number of hostile contacts on the TACNET map.
"Yes sir! Britannian forces have completely encircled the mountain! We've counted over a hundred Knightmares with an unknown number of supporting armored vehicles, Ride Armors, Mechaniloids and infantry!" A subordinate JLF officer reported.
"How in the world did they get here without us noticing!?" Katase demanded angrily.
Numerous Britannian C-133, C-130, C-119, C-124 and C-123 airlifters rumbled past the mountain in the distance after descending from altitude, transport, utility, and gunship VTOLs mixed among them as the cargo planes began releasing T-4 VTOL dropships from their holds.
="It's begun."= Zero noted, having expected this.
"Huh… What the hell?!" Tamaki muttered as he turned to face their leader. "You've gotta be kidding Zero! Those troops have the entire area totally surrounded!" Tamaki exclaimed while pointing at the bulk of the Britannian airlifters. "There's no way out!" He shouted as several of the platoon and squad leaders chattered among themselves.
="We've already been cut off, our only chance of surviving now is to fight."= Zero proclaimed to them.
"What!? We can't fight a Britannian force this size! We only have two understrength companies!" Inoue gasped in shock.
"Lemme get this straight, we're totally surrounded by at least one or two divisions and you want us to fight them head-on?!" Tamaki snarled.
"Divisions under Cornelia's command no less!" Sugiyama added. "Her forces are far stronger than any we've encountered!"
="Correct on both accounts."= Zero acknowledged. ="It would be a miracle if we pull out a Pyrrhic victory, let alone a proper win."=
Ohgi wheeled around to look at Zero. "Zero! What're you saying!?"
="Every Messiah must perform miracles if they're to be acknowledged as anything more than fools spouting nonsense."= He stated. ="Therefore we have to produce our own miracles. Don't we?"= He asked of them.
"Now look, pulling this off ain't gonna be cheap! The price could be our lives! I knew it was a mistake to make you our leader, it should be me!" Tamaki shouted as he drew his carbine, Zero promptly drawing and pointing his own handgun at the man's head as Ohgi stepped out of the way hurriedly.
There was a brief pause as everyone took in what was happening, Sugiyama torn between supporting Zero or his friend as the others gazed on in mute horror.
Then Zero promptly flipped the gun in his hand until it was upside down, offering it grip first to Tamaki, much to the latter's sudden shock.
="All paths of retreat for us have been cut off. Sun Tzu's art of war states that if you throw your soldiers into positions from which there is no retreat, they will prefer death to flight."= Zero informed them. ="If you think you have what it takes to survive, let alone win without me, then shoot me. Someone. Anyone."= He taunted.
Everyone was too shocked to take the bait, they knew instinctively that the moment Zero went down, they'd end up like half of the Yamato Alliance. The ones who fell at Saitama or were overwhelmed by the Royal Guard after disobeying orders instead of being saved by that unknown Reploid Izumi had mentioned several times.
Sugiyama turned to look at Tamaki, the other man stunned into a stupor by what Zero had just done.
="Since you've joined the Black Knights, all of you have only two choices."= Zero informed them finally.
="You may either live with me… Or you may perish with me!"= He declared.
["We're completely surrounded and our immediate reserve forces have been cut off from their deployment points or captured all at once!"] Someone radioed the JLF HQ.
["General Katase! We've received a message from Cornelia's forces demanding our immediate and unconditional surrender!"] Someone else reported.
"Imbecile! If we fall here then we've lost, and the whole Resistance movement falls with us!" Katase declared, not knowing that in Kyoto's eyes this was now far from the case should Zero prove himself.
"Then General…" One officer began before another cut him off.
"Do we engage the enemy in a counterattack or do we dig in for a siege?" A Captain asked.
"What about Todoh… Is he back from Kyoto yet?" Katase questioned.
"He reported he was still en-route, but with all the jamming we're not sure exactly where he is, he could be twenty minutes away or he could be hours away depending on traffic. But even in the best case scenario…"
Katase sighed. "Todoh won't make it in time, and even he'd be cut down by a force of this size without significant support."
The General opened his eyes, knowing they had no choice but to fight.
"Prepare to send out the Burais, Panzer-Hummels, Kalinkas and our remaining tanks! Strike the enemy in the weakest point so we can evacuate, deploy a secondary group to provide a diversion!" He ordered. "We'll show them the Japanese spirit and pride, this is our moment of truth!" Katase shouted, rallying his men.
Outside, massive hidden gates opened, revealing underground hangars exits for Knightmares and armored vehicles, numerous JLF Burais, Panzer-Hummels, and the unmistakable bulky 'walking tank'-like shapes of the Soviet made IBMP-4 Kalinkas with their handheld 30mm chain-fed auto-rifles and twin tube 125mm artillery cannons.
The factspheres of the Burais, 'turret' cameras of the Panzer-Hummels, and the monoeyes of the Kalinkas flared to life as the engines of MBTs, SPGs, and SPAAGs thrummed around them, infantry rushing about while ground crews directed vehicles and Knightmares to deploy.
The Prince Lelouch rumbled backwards to a secure position while Euphie and her staff officers observed the TACNET map.
"We believe that the enemy base is located somewhere in the mountains here…" An officer said as he gestured at the indicated area on the map with a pointer stick. "However until we obtain the full list of their collaborators we can't simply wipe them out with our bombers."
"Enemy forces are engaging our encirclement, they appear to be focusing on the weakpoints to provide a chance for a breakout." Another officer noted. "We'll be able to ascertain the general location of where their HQ is based on this information."
"Our forces are divided into three field combat commands, the forces led by General Dalton here." The third officer stated as he pointed at a group to the north-east. "Under General Alex here." He moved to the force that had emerged directly from Narita-2 and was heading straight up the mountainside. "And Viceroy Cornelia and Lord Guilford here." He moved the pointer over to the force on the south-west side of the mountain. "As for our flanking forces… Guh?" He mumbled as the TACNET display burst into static, catching Euphie and the officers by surprise.
"Enemy ECM. Initiate ECCM measures." Someone ordered.
"Roger." A technician replied as the board began to stabilize and resolve into a clear picture once again.
["The enemy force should be meeting us any moment now, switch ECCM to mode five and link up on channel Alpha Four."] Darlton ordered as he led a squad of Gloucesters, backed by Sutherlands with Liverpools providing fire support, up the mountainside.
["The enemy, what're we calling the local-built Glasgow copies of theirs again?"] Darlton inquired as he checked his frame's targeting software quickly.
["Burais sir. Apparently it translates to hoodlum, scoundrel, ruffian, villain, tough, or 'without relying on others' depending on the context."] One of the trailing pilots reported.
["How appropriate. Anyways they might be copies but their performance is much improved compared to normal Glasgows based on prior observation, so don't let your guard down even if they're not quite on par with our Fifth Gen units, especially if they mix European or Soviet monkey models into their formations."] The Britannian General ordered.
["Yes, my lord."]
Trees slid aside as a squad of three Burais were elevated to the surface on a previously hidden lift.
["Clever, they turned this entire mountain into a fortress, likely intending to use it to halt our invasion forces seven years ago. All units be on the lookout for hidden pillboxes and bunkers!"] Cornelia warned.
["Your highness! Please fall back!"] Guilford pleaded as his Gloucester matched speed with Cornelia's custom unit.
She chuckled. ["Guilford don't treat me as though I'm one of those hapless noble girls you used to date."]
Cornelia then shot forwards at the Burais, outpacing her guard squadron.
["Princess Cornelia!"] Her knight cried out in exasperation and worry.
The Burai pilots were stunned by her presence on the battlefield.
["It's Cornelia!"] One of them shouted.
["Idiots! Don't just sit there! SHOOT HER!"] The squad leader ordered as all three units opened fire on the Gloucester unit. ["Don't panic! Take her down! Use short controlled bursts!"]
Cornelia weaved through their hastily aimed fire and raised her EM lance before sweeping it like a club and knocking the two Burais on the flank to the ground and then impaling the middleman, the Burai falling limp as she withdrew the polearm and let the disabled Knightmare collapse to the ground before dispatching his squadmates with a single shot to each of their cockpits from her rifle.
Guilford fired a slash harken at a depressingly obsolete First Pacific War era twin flak gun turret that was taking aim at Cornelia, crushing its gun crew and the weapon's loading mechanisms. ["Right, well then I'll cover you from the rear."] He conceded.
She huffed and had her Knightmare take a dramatic pose in order to incite the less patient enemy troops. ["Well… Cornelia is here! Is there no-one who will challenge me!?"] She demanded over her loudspeakers.
Far atop the mountain, a very different challenge was occurring.
="What's wrong? Challenge me and try to take me down, or do you admit you cannot do the job?"= Zero taunted as the Black Knights stood dumbfounded, Ohgi glad that most of the rank and file were hunkered down at the points Zero had ordered them to wait at so they didn't have to see this.
"Alright fine… Do what you want…" Tamaki groused, admitting defeat.
Sugiyama frowned and relaxed as well. "We acknowledge you as our leader Zero…"
="Thank you very much… I greatly appreciate it."= Lelouch replied with a smirk on his face behind the mask.
C2 watched as convoys of APCs, Glasgows, and transport trucks rolled through the town, blaring evacuation orders from their speakers as several Maverick Hunter patrol cars did the same.
Already she could see Britannians, Reploids, and Elevens begin to trickle out of buildings, escorted by soldiers and Maverick Hunters to transport trucks and APCs, which began slowly filing out of town, far more than were initially estimated to have remained in town by Lelouch, with many more likely still hunkered down until the shooting stopped.
Given the circumstances it was likely the civil authorities and the military had issued contradictory orders and most people had chosen to stay put rather than evacuate and risk getting caught in the crossfire.
But now that it was occurring it was also taking far longer than she would've liked, barring no complications she estimated another five to six minutes before the landslide hit.
The evacuation would take at least another half-hour to complete at this pace.
"It took them long enough…" The Reploid mumbled before glancing over to the other side of a building and spotting a familiar man walking down an empty street.
She froze immediately, recognizing the man as one of the engineers who'd been working on the Code R project.
Joseph Fenette.
She glanced up the mountain towards where Zero was due to enact his plan and then down at Fenette.
The man had dual majored in engineering and geology, as it was one of the few effective ways to ensure a stable future for his family as an upper middle-class Britannian who'd clawed up to that economic status tooth and nail.
But she couldn't exactly forgive him for 'following orders', even if his daughter was a close friend.
That and he had answers she wanted to know.
She'd endure Lelouch's inevitable rant about her hypocrisy later.
C2 leapt down from above and landed behind him, the man jumping and spinning around upon hearing the clang of her feet impacting the ground, freezing when he spotted her gaze resting upon him.
"Y… You!" He gasped.
"You're a long way from Code-R Joseph… Did you get lost or were you doing something for your colleagues?" She inquired as she marched up to him, the man sweating and sputtering nervously as she activated her armor and pointed her buster at him. "I don't want to have to kill you, for Shirley's sake at the least so just take me there. I take all the data from your labs, and you get to go home. That doesn't sound like such a bad deal to me." She stated calmly, the man's eyes widening as he realized how close the Reploid was to his daughter, putting the link between Zero's newfound ally and the new assistant for Lelouch together.
Overlooking the pair from a nearby building, Sigma grinned smugly before turning and walking off before he was spotted, but not after radioing in to X and Zero about a report of a Maverick taking a man hostage at that location.
"Knights take queen. Or do they?" He chuckled to himself as he leapt to higher ground after his subordinates acknowledged they were on the way, he knew exactly what Zero was planning after hearing reports from his agents regarding the Black Knights purchasing drilling equipment on the black market.
It was relatively simple for anyone with the right information to figure out the other half because said equipment could transfer energy directly, and the massive reservoir at the peak of the mountain was already full of geothermally heated water.
The perfect storm for an artificial mudslide of epic proportions.
All it needed was the right nudge with the right amount of force applied in the right place.
And he knew the Black Knights would provide that nudge.
Cornelia impaled another Burai, leaping her Gloucester over it and pulling her lance out as it toppled backwards. ["Only Burais on this slope…? I'd expected better."] She groused as she continued onwards before dodging fire from a Kalinka as it suddenly roared out of cover and drew its oversized knuckler type weapon, which had been mislabeled a Katar by intelligence previously, and charged her.
Cornelia backed away before roaring around the comparatively sluggish Fourth Gen Knightmare and stabbed her lance through the side of its cockpit, watching the monoeye dim as a result before the Machine slumped over as she withdrew it. ["Idiots, I've seen better tactics from fresh Soviet conscripts."] She scoffed, unimpressed by the JLF's degraded piloting quality.
Off to the side a group of newer model Ride Armors blew away a JLF anti-armor position with their built in weapons as the rest of her forces moved up.
["Enemy defensive lines are heavily concentrated in my sector! This may be the target!"] Darlton reported as he and his units charged up the mountainside, blasting away at the defenses with 25mm rounds, heavy cannon shells, and anti-armor grenades while the JLF returned fire from mobile units, armored vehicles and bunkers.
["Split!"] He ordered his personal squad as they broke formation and wiped out the second attack wave that bore down on them, armored vehicles and Knightmares billowing smoke, bursting into flames, exploding or just simply ceasing to function as they were destroyed.
The bunkers and pillboxes were prevented from effectively intervening by accurate heavy artillery fire, rocket assisted 203mm super-heavy shells punching down through the soil and reinforced concrete and blowing out entire positions while mortars and smaller caliber howitzers blew away more exposed defenses.
"Second counter-attack wave wiped out, it had no effect!" One of the JLF officers reported.
Katase was in total awe, he'd never seen such an effective combat force in his life, even during the invasion Britannia had sustained casualties thanks to localized efforts, but this… He wasn't even sure if they'd even damaged any of the advancing Knightmares and Ride Armors let alone had anyone survive long enough to encounter the supporting mechanized and armored units. "Their sheer dominance is overwhelming… Insurmountable!" He mumbled in horror.
["General Darlton, based on the movements of the enemy defensive groups, I've estimated that one of the main entrances to the JLF base is that mountain lodge up ahead."] One of Darlton's subordinates reported.
["I'd say the exact word for this situation is 'bingo'."] Darlton joked.
["Well sir… Technically…"]
["Oh just call it in already mister literal."] He ordered, rolling his eyes.
["Yes, my lord!"]
A flare shot up on the side of the mountain, visible from Cornelia's position.
["Is that… Darlton?"] Cornelia mumbled
Guilford remained stone-faced. ["So that's where the main enemy base is located?"] He noted.
["Right, we're securing our position here."] Cornelia ordered.
He smirked. ["Are you sure about this?"] Guilford asked.
["I don't need to steal achievements from my subordinates like some individuals tend to do. Send a detachment from the reserve force to back up Darlton, looks like he'll be getting another medal."]
Lelouch flipped through a notebook before taking off his mask, safely in the confines of his Burai.
"Impressive as always Cornelia, a very logical deployment." He noted. "However excellent it is though, it's also easy to read, as is your location in it."
Elsewhere, the Purists sat just ahead of Colonel's support detachment, the six remaining Sutherlands they had left idling about as a rear-guard. Jeremiah sighing while he lazed about as he knew that Kewell's disastrous mishap during the airport kidnapping incident had further sullied their reputation.
While the 'Orange' comments still came, they weren't nearly as frequent as the insults Kewell suffered about leaves.
Speaking of his former friend, the ginger was on the verge of a constant nervous breakdown, Jeremiah honestly couldn't blame him, had things gone differently with the 'Orange' thing, he'd likely have suffered the same fate.
"It bites being a rear guard…" He mumbled as Kewell practically frothed at the mouth.
"Why aren't we moving up!" Kewell demanded of Viletta as the woman sighed. "We should be reinforcing General Darlton!"
"We're not part of his reserves, and in either case only a single unit was detached to provide support at this time, until we get further orders we're to cover Viceroy Cornelia's rear-lines." Viletta told him, slowly getting fed up with Kewell's nonsense.
"Rear-lines! The only way we could be further from the action is if we were behind the Lancelot!" He shouted furiously.
"Calm yourself Kewell… We might get a shot sooner or later, we just have to wait for an opportunity to present itself." Jeremiah noted, he'd observed the flow of battles like this before, while the momentum was currently decisively in favor of Britannia, if Zero should make an appearance they might have an opening to reclaim some of their lost glory.
"We've lost contact with Nakamura's unit!" Someone shouted as reports streamed into the JLF command center.
"No response from sector three!" Another JLF officer noted with increasing dismay.
"Major Tanaka's been killed!"
"Kurata and Kuroda are gone too!"
"What about Nagai? Is his unit still active?" Someone asked.
Katase hung his head. "Where's Todoh…" He whispered. "If only he were here… Then perhaps the divine wind of Itsukushima would blow again…"
A pair of Britannian soldiers manning a roadblock dove for cover as the two trucks being used by the four holy swords plowed through the weighted plastic barricades, gunfire bouncing off their armored trailers and cabs as they passed by.
"Sir… Don't you think this is a little… Extreme?" Asahina asked nervously.
"Asahina, Chiba, prep the Burai Kais ASAP. Tell Urabe and Senba behind us to do the same." Todoh ordered. "Traffic is blocked off all around Narita, which means they've already begun to attack… I just pray we're not too late to save at least some of our comrades."
Upon encountering a sheer rock face, Darlton's unit began to use their slash harkens as climbing ropes to ascend further up the mountain, the man smirking as he observed the formation closing in on the peak. ["Now the core of all organized resistance that still remains in Area 11-"]
["Will now be finished."] Cornelia noted smugly.
C2 marched Joseph Fenette down an alley, her buster trained on the man's center mass as they marched through alleys and side streets to evade patrols and the convoys of evacuating civilians. "How much further…?" She asked.
"More than a few blocks, we're set up on an old university campus that pre-dates the invasion on the south side of town." He explained.
"I see…" She mumbled before whirling around after coming out onto the street to see and X and Zero pointing their busters at her, having laid in wait to ambush C2, her eyes bulging out in surprise given how they'd been clearly expecting her.
There was a rumble and then C2 suddenly felt her arms constrict around her midsection as Vile's ride armor grabbed her and clenched her in its grasp.
"Not so hot now are you?" The violet armored Hunter chuckled and squeezed her, C2's armor beginning to crumple in the Ride Armor's iron grip.
"Shit…" C2 thought as Zero and X walked over to Fenette and began to question him as to why he hadn't evacuated while a squad of Britannian troops marched up to take possession of a known member of the Black Knights.
"I can't go all out with the civilians around… But how do I escape this…?"
["Right!"] Lelouch exclaimed over the Burai's loudspeakers. ["All preparations have now been completed! Black Knights! Prepare to move out!"] His voice boomed.
Burais and Panzer-Hummels rumbled to life as the few armored units the Black Knights had on hand followed suit, infantry rushing about to their troop carriers.
"Damnit we don't have a choice!" One of the rookies shouted.
"I don't wanna die! Let's make a miracle happen!" Another exclaimed.
Ohgi grimaced as he powered on his Burai as well.
"Yeah! We have Zero with us! This'll be our Itsukushima!" A third yelled in agreement.
["We of the Black Knights are going to launch a decisive surprise attack on the Britannian forces from the summit of the mountain!"] Zero explained. ["Per my instructions you will charge en-masse down to point three!"]
["The intent of this operation is to capture Cornelia, the Second Princess of Britannia!"] Zero informed them as Kallen sealed up the cockpit of the Guren, the clear windscreen of the Knightmare's cockpit opacating as its head deployed and the machine booted up. ["Our breakthrough route will be opened by the Guren Mark Two!"]
["Q1, use penetrating electrode number three. Settle the issue of their ground forces with one blow."]
["Got it…"] She acknowledged as she placed the wave surger emitter over the digging unit.
["Output linkage confirmed. Wave surger levels ready and holding."] She noted as the air around the surger arm began to shimmer from the haze.
Kallen exhaled to clear her mind. ["Activating gauntlet now!"] She warned as she hit the switch.
Black and red energy surged off the arm of the Guren and illuminated the area in a hellish glaze before fading as the Guren ejected the spent surger cartridge from its arm, Kallen panting and sweating slightly due to the sudden temperature spike.
She briefly wondered if it failed before the ground began to shake and a deep rumble filled the air. ["It worked!"]
The ground before the Black Knights shattered as the pressure inside the reservoir passed the breaking point and blew an immense hole in the side of the mountain, water, rock, and soil merging into an unfathomably destructive mudslide.
Standing outside the JLF lodge entrance N.N. turned to see the slide pass her as the sensors inside the HQ frazzled out due to the seismic interference.
The immortal could only whistle as she tracked it down to the foot of the mountain based on the predicted course of it due to terrain funneling.
["An Earthquake?!"] A JLF soldier questioned as he and his compatriot attempted to maneuver their Burais out of the path of the slide.
["At a time like this?! GUAAHH!"]The second man screamed as his machine was swept away.
["What the hell!?"] General Alex shouted as he and the bulk of his troops were swept away as well.
Aboard the bridge of the Princess Nunnally Colonel's eyes snapped open as Britannian Officers chattered away with Iris about the landslide, before he picked up a handset and spoke into it. "This is Automata to Roost, get those birds in the air. Now."
September 14, 2017 ATB.
O'Hare Field, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11.
Scramble alert sirens blared as pilots rushed to their F-14 Skyfangs, F-15 Spitefuls, B-57 Hendersons, B-66 Destroyers and A-9 Tempest IIs.
Canopies closed as final checks were performed, munitions were double-checked to ensure they were properly fastened into bays or onto pylons and one by one the jets taxied towards the runway.
The ground crews waved them off while yet more jets were armed and fueled up.
["First wave stand by for takeoff. Second wave commence arming and fueling."] Someone announced over the base PA system as several AV-1 Cobras took off nearby from the VTOL pads, their landing skids retracting into their airframes as they ascended.
September 14, 2017 ATB.
Narita Range, Honshu, Area 11.
["Status report!"] Cornelia demanded as the slide roared past her and Guilford.
["We're still trying to confirm who's still active! Everything's a total mess your highness!"] Someone replied in a flurry of panic.
["Your highness pull back! You're in danger there!"] Guilford demanded, wary of any debris or perhaps the slide expanding.
["I don't care! Forget about me, find Darlton and Alex!"] She ordered angrily.
"Will this place hold together!?" Katase demanded as the JLF HQ shook violently.
"The reinforced sectors, including the central area, should make it through!" One of the Officers chattered through the shaking.
Katase could only hope he was correct.
Lloyd smirked as he watched the slide over the TACNET, noting it was approaching the town at the base of the mountain like an unstoppable juggernaut. "Oh my, at this rate what's left of them will be swept all the way to the bottom, along with everything else there as well."
"These heat readings are abnormal! Do you think a hydrovolcanic eruption was artificially induced?!" Cecile asked him, Lloyd simply keeping his smug grin on his face as he turned his head to look at her.
"Normally I'd say this would be impossible… Unless someone used a field operable version of Rakshata's radiant wave surger." He stated calmly much to Cecile's shock.
"Has something happened?" Suzaku asked obliviously whilst peering out of his cockpit, having no TACNET access of his own since Lancelot was deactivated.
"It has nothing to do with us right now Suzaku, so just calm down." Lloyd informed him as he glanced at the Lancelot's pilot whom pursed his lips and furrowed his brow in confusion.
X, Zero, C2, Vile, the soldiers and Joseph all turned upon hearing the approaching slide and gazed upon the destructive tsunami of mud as it swept up all in its path, C2 watching as several of the handful of skyscrapers began to topple over from the sheer force of the deluge.
For C2, eyes almost bulging out of her face, the real horror was that all of this was her fault for performing the survey that Lelouch had used as the basis for his plan.
A plan that he had gone ahead with regardless of her reservations about their ability to funnel and control such a destructive force of nature.
"Oh dear god no… What have we done…" She thought as she watched dozens of screaming soldiers, Maverick Hunters, and civilians get swept under and buried beneath countless tons of earth and rubble.
"Son of a bi-" Vile started before the slide swept over them as well, easily overtaking the futile attempts to outrun it.
Everything went dark for C2 as critical damage errors flashed across her vision, she felt herself be ripped free of the Ride Armor's grip and then tumble helplessly through the mud, rubble and soil like a ragdoll being thrown about by a child.
[COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM OFFLINE. RECEPTOR AND TRANSMITTER ANTENNAS DESTROYED.]
[MARK SEVENTEEN BUSTER UNIT BARREL OBSTRUCTED. RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE CLEARING.]
[WARNING. INDIGESTIBLE ELEMENTS INGESTED INTO CATALYTIC ENGINE, IMMEDIATE PURGING REQUIRED.]
[CRITICAL SYSTEM ERROR, APOGEE MOTORS OFFLINE. FOOT AND LEG THRUSTERS DISABLED.]
[MAJOR COOLING SYSTEM BLOCKAGE DETECTED. IMMEDIATE CLEARAGE REQUIRED.]
[WARNING. JOINT ARMOR PROTECTION COMPROMISED. SEEK IMMEDIATE REPAIRS.]
[CORE TEMPERATURE SPIKE DETECTED. SWITCHING TO DIRECT RADIATION MODE.]
"Lelouch… Help…" She thought weakly.
[EMERGENCY BEACON ONLINE. WARNING. TRANSMITTER INACTIVE.]
"I don't… Want... To... Die… Like... this…"
[W͜a͟R͠N҉1͢{͠, ́Cr͝17̢!͠4L̀ 5Y̴St3̴^^͜ ͘3͡r̶0[̸[,̶ ͝uN̢1҉[̶̀n͢7̵1f̛#̷e͏d 1n7҉%͟u$͏!̢&+͘]
[C̀ON͞D̶I̵TIO͝N ̧MET. ̵SY͡ST̀EM͏ OV͏E͢RR̶IDE͟.̀ I͢NTĮA͝TED͜.͡]
C2 screamed as a foreign code began to violate her very being. The cries of her anguish lost in the echoes of destruction around her.
AN: Yeah, shit got real at the end. And like I said, this is where the breaks from canon start really coming into play. Britannian air and artillery support was practically non-existent in the canon battle, which struck me as odd in retrospect given Cornelia's competence at Saitama. Even when it was clear that the Black Knights were overwhelming them, no effort was made to call in fire support for either Cornelia, Guilford, or Darlton, leaving it to Suzaku to force Lelouch to order a retreat.
The Suzaku and Lelouch scene was adapted from the pre-Narita audio drama stage before anyone starts.
I find it hilarious that it's canon that Lelouch is totally clueless sometimes because Suzaku has more practical life experience than he does.
Anywho, made several references throughout, see if you can spot them.
As for the Kalinkas, they're basically smaller, KMF sized Tieren ground types from 00 with landspinners on the legs and an extended 'backpack' housing their cockpit block, also boasting a 30mm chain-rifle based on the PKMN and a heavy cannon based on the RGSh-30. And some other things to make them more Knightmare-like such as slash harkens.
Also that 'katar' thing that's really an oversized knuckle duster is still there.
It's not a katar because I haven't seen a picture of an actual katar that looks like that, plus it's basically functionally a brass knuckles since even the Gundam version admits that it's not a stabbing or cutting weapon.
Anyways, Russians don't really bother with factspheres much in the same way the Europeans and Black Knights don't due to the vulnerabilities of such systems, instead focusing on tried and true sensor technologies to reduce to maintenance impact, since Russian design theory is to make it simple enough for a conscript military to maintain and use, with things like the AKM, T-55, MiG-21, Mi-8 and RPG-7 being exemplars of this trend IRL.
In essence the jump to their Seventh Gen Knightmare would basically be them going from the T-90 to the T-14 Armata, a massive leap in capability and complexity from previous machines.
As for Saburo Okawachi and the various JLF officers uttered over radio chatter, those are actually the names given in the show.
For the G-series naming conventions, G-1 Command Ships are named after Royals, G-8 Carriers are named after Cavalry Personnel, G-9 Medical Ships after Army Medics, Nurses and words intended to imply their medical role such as 'Comfort' or 'Mercy', G-3 AA Ships after Fortifications, G-2s after Artillery Personnel, and G-7 Logistics vessels after words implying great resources. They're based on the same basic engineering but not all of them resemble the standard G-1s, with the combat oriented vessels being squatter and more heavily armored while the support units like the G-9s, G-8s, and G-7s are larger than the Command and Control oriented G-1.
Always found it odd that the G-1 is implied to be part of a series but we never see any others.
On a final note. Disturbingly enough, by sheer coincidence I set the battle of Narita in this fic on the actual day that it happened according to the episode "Geass vs Geass", which is the 14th of September as Lelouch notes that's the day Shirley's father had died after C.C. looks through her journal while the two search her room.
What are the odds, I was just trying to make the story flow better but by sheer happenstance I matched the dates.
Or at least I think so... Can't really remember if I deliberately put it on this date or not.