A2 Turn 21 "White Thorns"

The door leading into the private residence opened up revealing a Azalea holding a brown bag wrapped in her arms. Rai looks over from the nearby kitchen bar, and turns back to his magazine while Azalea walks past him. She placed the bag onto the nearby table, and reaches into it removing a sealed parcel. Azalea adjusted her glasses, and held it over to Rai.

"This is yours...it seems that the Black Knights have eliminated the Geass Institute."

Rai put the magazine onto the top of the counter, and got out from his seat to retrieve the package. It was a large parcel one that you would received from a tailor. He glanced at it for a moment, and walked it back over to the countertop to open it. With a pull of the twine the brown bag covering slowly opened up revealing the white uniform similar to the Knights of the Round. He slowly pulled out the jacket, and looked over at Azalea. "What is this for?"

Azalea pushed her glasses up, and took a seat on a sofa in the living room. She reached over to the remotes sitting on the coffee table, and turned on the wall mounted television. "Those are the uniforms of the Knights of the Round. However the symbol etched on them isn't the Britannian Regalia, but the sigil that everyone is aware of."

Rai looked at the logo embroidered on the shoulders and quickly recognized the Geass Sigil etched above the Black Knights logo. He let out a small whistle, and looked over at his employer. "So the Queen is serious this time. It's going to be odd wearing this type of uniform again." he paused, "You're going to give Feite one of them as well aren't you?"

Azalea glanced at the parcel sitting beside her, and let out a small nod. "Yes, it's almost time, but I have to rely on a certain someone to get the cards to play out in order." She sighs deeply, "There is something I'll need to discuss with the two of you about the upcoming operation."

Rai folded the uniform back up, and crossed over to the back of the sofa placing his hands against it. "You mean the Knight of Two. Aurelia Bless."

Azalea turned off the television and glanced over her shoulder. "That answer is only half right...there is a new weapon being delivered to Tokyo. You know the CF drive that Feite Developed? Feite designed that reactor that if it is catastrophically damaged it will shut down. Nina Einstein, one of your former classmates created a weapon with the financials from Prince Schneizel. It's a tactical grade warhead...one capable of wiping a city or an entire army out if used against one. It's frightening that it may be that weapon is why the Queen wants us to act earlier than necessary."

Nagasaki Settlement

Aurelia walked through the halls of the Governor Generals office where soldiers armed with rifles patrolled the halls. The security here was much more tighter than even in Tokyo. It was well known that the Governor General here was a decorated General, and still a major advisor to Nunnally in the Tokyo main settlement. The added security was due to the tense relations between the mainland and the developing Area Eleven settlements. Aurelia has spent a great deal of item visiting Sapporo, Tokushima, and Sendai in the previous months in hopes of building support for the White Queen. There were sympathizers in the highest ranks of the military, and local governments all willing to turn their arms against Britannian Loyalists at a moment's notice. The only issue was that Nagasaki had the smallest concentration of forces allied with the White Queen. Only a fraction of the soldiers were aware that at a moment's notice Nagasaki, and Tokyo would be attacked and occupied within days.

Aurelia was here in Nagasaki in hopes of building more support in this south-eastern major city that had been rebuilt since the war. She had been away from Tokyo for a few days, and in those had tried to talk to Suzaku concerning this turn of events. It infuriated Aurelia about how thick headed Suzaku was about the evidence concerning the upcoming rebellion, and the fact that the Emperor a person who was supposed to protect his people and lead them to prosperity would commit such vile acts for almost no gain word wide. There was also the bit concerning the Sword of Akasha that the Emperor kept going about during every communiqué. Aurelia had been there once before, and felt disgusted standing in that behemoth partly due to the suffocating sensation or the proximity to the White Queen that made her uneasy about it.

Aurelia paused in the hallway, and took a glance out the window. There were reports coming in that a massive battle between Chinese dissidents and the Black Knights was caught via a spy satellite hours ago. Aurelia was no fool that the information provided was due to the Avalon Foundation, and the information agency that was under the control of Zero. The startling thought was the location of the attack that Aurelia knew to not be Chinese forces, but units belonging to the Geass Institute under the name of Irregular. She moved her hand to her forehead, and gave it a gentle rub.

"Not feeling it today as well? You really need to stop working hard, and learn to take it easy for a change!" Gino walked down the hall holding two cups of coffee in his hands. He kept his usual carefree and overly energetic expression on his face. It was rare for Aurelia to even see Gino in a mood that wasn't completely carefree.

Aurelia held out her hand accepting the coffee from Gino and quietly took a sip. It was good, it seems that in the months of serving with Gino in Area Eleven he knew how she liked her coffee. It alleviated a small amount of the headache that was Nagasaki. "This business here is aggravating Gino. It's impossible to figure out who is a traitor, and who is a loyalist now. We might as well just handcuff everyone and see if anything happens."

Gino shrugged his shoulders, and chuckled. "Come on Aurelia, we should be able to find something soon. As much as I'd like to see Area Eleven completely free of dissident activity it's not going to happen if you think about it realistically." He looked at the patrol coming down the hall. "It's difficult yes, but doesn't hurt us to keep an extra eye out. Anyway, how about we go take a look at the sights here? You are a..." He whispered, "An expert in Japanese tourists spots or so I hear."

Sword of Akasha Unknown Location

Lelouch traversed the gateway and felt slightly queasy while coming out the exit. It almost felt as if time stopped for a moment, and suddenly started again. A thick wind blasted across his body while standing on a long deck similar to that of an aircraft carrier. It was marked with strange markings, and held a golden hue to its metallic frame. His hair blasted around and slowly he looked at the silhouette of a man standing in the middle of the deck.

"Lelouch? I was expecting V.V. to come crawling out begging me to tend to his wounds."

The Emperor of all Britannia, the one responsible for everything negative in Lelouch's life stood holding sheaved sword in one hand, and his hand on the handle of a holstered pistol on his hip. Charles's features were different from when Lelouch last saw him. The man that was his father was nothing of what he remembered. The Emperor looked almost inhuman with his dominating gaze affecting Lelouch at the distance they were at.

"So Lelouch, I hear you spilled your seed like a mongrel in heat. Who would have thought that you would impregnate someone worthy. Did you come here to return to my good grazes and help me break the seal on this glorious weapon?"

Lelouch's hand shook on the handgun at his side, and growled. "You have no right to say that to me...you who have more children than any normal man could potentially care for. You have no right to talk to me as if I'm some sort of philanderer. What is this place?"

Charles held his hands out with excitement growing in his face. "You've grown a pair in the years since I've exiled you. Tell me did you force Feite Avalon to have your child or did you use your Geass to win her defiant heart over?"

Lelouch lifted the handgun, and his finger shook over the trigger. "Answer my question!?"

Charles could see the rage growing in Lelouch's face, and turned to the spire at the end of the structure. "This is the Sword of Akasha, the greatest weapon ever created by the heavens to smite all of God's enemies. With this I will no longer need the Avalon Foundation or even my knights to do my bidding. This weapon will rule above all under my absolute authority. Now I've answered your now answer mine!"

Lelouch moved his other hand to the grip of the weapon, and his eyes narrowed at the man he once called father. "I didn't force her to do anything. I am not you...I'm not a monster that destroyed everything and everyone I cared for!"

The loud sound of three gunshots exited from Lelouch's handgun with each shot hitting the Emperor in the chest. Charles stood in shock for a moment and slowly looked down at the bullet wound in his chest. He grinned while moving his gloved hand to the wound. "Is that your resolve Lelouch? Is this all you have?"

Lelouch's eyes trembled, "I shot you in your heart...you should be...dead."

Charles started to laugh softly, and lifted his revolver from the holster on his hip. "I now have the gift my brother squandered since we were young. How will you kill me Lelouch when not even your bullets can defeat me."

Lelouch glanced around and turned to the edge of the fortress. 'How do I get out of here...Think! Where is the gateway I used to...'

Charles took several steps forward aiming slightly with one arm. "It's about time for this reunion to end..." He paused for a moment, and exhaled softly. "Goodbye Lelouch!" A loud bang exited form the revolver, and the bullet quickly closed the distance hitting Lelouch in the chest. Lelouch stumbled backwards over the edge, and glanced over with his vision blurred at Charles smiling at him. "Return to the world that rejects you."

The sound of Lelouch gasping filled the gateway deep inside the Geass Institute where he had his hand clutched against his chest where the bullet had hit him through the chest. There was no wound or any hint of a bullet hitting the fabric of his jacket. He coughed several times before catching his breath, and sat up looking at the dormant gateway in front of him. "Was that real?" He glanced to his side to see the body of V.V. still laying on the steps leading up to the gate he walked through earlier. "It had to be..."

A small crackle filled the earwig inside his ear followed by C.C.'s voice filling his eardrum. "Lelouch...I've ordered an withdraw from the Institute. Did you complete your mission?"

Lelouch got up to his feet, and wheezed while glancing up the Longinus. "V.V. is dead, but I fear that we have something bigger to deal with. He's lost his immortality..." He rubbed his head, and stumbled towards the waiting Knightmare. "My father...the power transferred to him...tell me C.C. how..." Lelouch collapsed to his knees and slowly lost consciousness.

Avalon Foundation, Tokyo

A partially dismantled Partisan Knightmare Frame stood in the middle of a cluttered workshop where Feite along had already started to heavily modify the base with freshly machined, and rather expensive parts. She looked youthful again tinkering with the fabrication system, and switching out streamlined parts for higher quality versions. There was dirt on her face while she worked vigorously on getting this 'Knightmare' working to a standard she would expect from the Voulge.

"Do you want to hear the good news first or the bad news?"

Rai walked into the workshop with a tray of food in his hands, and glanced over at the Partisan where Feite was head deep into the chest armor working on replacing several other parts. He cleared a place on a very cluttered table, and let out a loud groan.

Feite slowly pulled her head of the maintenance hatch and glanced over her shoulder at Rai standing at the food of the Knightmare. "Did we finally get into contact with Lelouch and the others concerning the Geass Institute?"

Rai nodded, "So I'll start with the good..." He took in a deep breath, and glanced at the Partisan's stripped optics unit. "Lelouch and the detachment of the Black Knights attacked the Geass Institute with great success. The Institute is in shambles, and the best bit of information is that V.V. met his untimely end at the hands of Lelouch, and the Black Knights prisoner..." He cleared his throat, "The Imperial Princess Cornelia herself was found in the institute. She was tested on by those bastards there, and is now a prisoner of the Black Knights."

Feite's eyes went wide at the sound of Cornelia's name being mentioned and the tool held firmly in her hands slipped out. She glanced slowly at her trembling hands, and glanced down at the tool. "She...was experimented on?"

Rai crossed over to the elevator, and slowly brought himself up to the upper catwalk. "The information is rather slim, but from what I know about the institute the probably gave her an ability. Finding out what that ability is will take time, however she's in perfect health if that means any consolation for you."

Feite kneeled down and slowly reached out for the tool. She let out a breath of relief, and grasped the tool in her hand. "Is there anything else?"

Rai stopped several feet away from Feite, and grasped the railing casting his gaze downward. "The Voulge was sliced in half during the battle...and its pilot..."

Feite turned over quickly, "No, it can't be...tell me she's..."

Rai shook his head. "From what our contact told me, your second in command is in the intensive care unit on Horai in a medically induced coma. The odds of her surviving are low." He took in a deep breath, "Lelouch also experienced some sort of event when following V.V. to the bowels of the institute. From what the Queen told me C.C. is watching over him, but the strain on his body will make it difficult to proceed with the plan as it is now."

Feite froze in place, the bad news struck deeper than any knife ever could. She moved her hand to her chest, and took in several deep breaths to calm herself down. "As much as I want to, I cannot go to Horai Island to visit or comfort Lelouch." Her hand lowered from her chest, and gripped the rail tightly in her hand. "I have a duty to uphold, and a promise to the White Queen."

Rai lowered his head, "Did the Queen even tell you how to remove your immortality?"

Feite's eyes were fixed on the wrench in her hand, and continued to work on the internal compartment. "There are things in motion that are larger than my own mortality. I need to ignite the powder keg that is Japan..."

Rai crossed over to Feite, and patted her on the shoulder. "Do you propose that this machine is going to be the thing that ignites it?"

Feite pulled her hand out of the compartment, and held her open palm out to Rai. "Can you please run a diagnostic on the Frame as it is now compared with the data of the Voulge and the Longinus."

Rai removed several tools out of the way and removed the rather high tech looking tablet. He crossed over to the rear mounted cockpit, and located the maintenance port attaching the tablet to the machine. The tablet's monitor springs to light showing several lines of code followed by a start up screen. The Knightmare's optics flash to life while a blue light radiates from the interior of the cockpit. "This is impressive, this is more than what I saw when I was around Kururugi."

Feite nodded, "The Voulge was a stepping stone for Avalon's double dealing with the world government. It's children are replacing every old Knightmare Frame in the world. This Partisan is probably the closest thing I have to the Voulge now..." She moved her hand to her chest, and took in a deep breath. "Rai what does the readout say?"

Rai glanced down at the tablet, "The readout is saying that this particular unit is 10% more efficient than the Voulge, 75% weaker than the Longinus. A skilled pilot should be able to overwhelm anyone in a machine like this. Especially a Partisan that has been customized this much."

Feite sighed to herself, "That is the best I can do with such little time. Even with the best fabricators in this building a completely new frame would take too long."

Rai groaned, "Are you going to tell me what your plan is?"

Feite started to close the various hatches that were open, and reached over to the nearby terminal. "I'm going to attack the southern barracks where the Rounds have their Knightmare's stored. I'm going to blow up the armory."

Rai nearly lost his footing, and dropped the tablet to the catwalk. "What are you crazy? That place is a fortress... are you that crazy?"

Feite walked past him, and stepped onto the elevator. "Yes, I've been running around like a stray long enough. It's about time I get the rust out, and see how Lelouch's little toy works against the power grid."

Rai followed Feite to the elevator. "The Gefjun Disturber will make most of the Sutherland, and Gloucester units completely useless. However you'll have to deal with the fleets of Glaive and Partisans that are stationed there."

Feite shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think I should have that much of an issue."

Rai stretched, "You have something up your sleeve don't you?"

Horai Island

Shirley rushed through the hospital with several packs of blood held in her arms. She looked around at the various wounded being rolled in from the 'attack' in the Gobi Desert. She was clearly flustered, and looked around for Zero or even C.C. 'I hope they are okay...' She glanced over at the access way from the rooftop. A series of combat medics still wearing combat gear rushed by holding a covered field stretcher with the body of Haruka laying atop with respirator mask, and her body covered with bloodstained compresses. Shirley paused and her eyes started to tremble while the group passed by her.

"Hey! We could use that blood here now!"

"Shirley!"

"SHIRLEY!"

Shirley snapped out of her state of delirium and turned to the doctor she had been assisting. "Sorry..." She rushed over to the nearby room, and placed the blood packs on the nearby tray. "What do you need me to do now?"

The doctor started to wash her hands, and the assistants started to prep her for surgery. "We have a lot of wounded pouring in. I don't have time to babysit you. Go report to Ogi, there isn't anything else I can use you for."

Shirley felt a vibration in the pocket of her uniform skirt, and slowly reached into to answer her phone. "Hello?"

"Shirley? I need your help, please meet me at dock B5, and come alone."

It was C.C.'s voice and despite always sounding cryptic this time the 'mysterious' woman was serious. Shirley swallowed excess saliva in her mouth, and cleared her throat. "I'll be there...do you need me to bring anything?"

While the soldiers returned from the battlefield the Ikaruga hovered in its dock with loading bays being filled with supplies to the repair bays below. In the middle of staging area there were lines of seriously damaged Knightmare frames and amongst those was the remains of the Voulge. Its armor was gray with all of its paint completely burned away the weapon that cut across its frame. A few technicians were standing around it while a few feet away Ogi tries his best to calm down a very annoyed Tamaki.

"Why the hell did Zero order Haruka to join in such a dangerous mission!? Zero's my buddy why did he send my girl?"

Ogi looked over his shoulder at the remains of the Voulge, and lowered his head. "I don't know the details, but Haruka is a dutiful woman. Even if Zero told her to stay she is too prideful to ignore a mission."

"It's exactly as you say..." Tohdoh walked up from the Ikaruga access elevator. "Haruka is one of our best. It's partly due to her wanting to make up for the loss of power we have."

Tamaki growled, "What do you mean lack of power? We took out a Britannian facility in the desert."

Tohdoh shook his head, "If we had Kallen, and Feite there could have been a significant loss of life. Haruka knew the risks, and she performed her duties valiantly. There are a lot more wounded in that hospital, why do you weep only for Haruka?"

Ogi looked over at Tohdoh with eyes wide. "Tohdoh..." he regained his composure, and opened his mouth to speak again. "About the woman we captured is it really her?"

Tohdoh nodded, "Yes, its Cornelia Li Britannia. She is being prepared to be interrogated once Zero returns to us."

Warehouse Dock B5

Shirley's hair whipped from the quad-rotor Knightmare transport slowly coming down. The white Knightmare frames that she had heard stories of were slowly dropped from the machine along with one she had never seen before. The Longinus's feet light touched the ground and the magnetic wires detach from its body. The Transport slowly came in for a landing with its optical camouflage breaking apart alongside its hull. Its landing gears quickly extend, and it makes its touchdown.

Shirley looked up at the Longinus, and quickly recognized it. 'It looks like the one that Feite pilots...is she onboard?'

The rear access compartment of the transport opened, and C.C walked out with Lelouch's arm hunched over her shoulder. Lelouch was barely conscious without his helmet and mask. His face was extremely pale while he caught a glimpse of Shirley. Without hesitating Shirley quickly rushed over to Lelouch's side.

"Lulu are you alright? Where is your mask?"

Lelouch took in a few deep breaths, and shook his head. "I don't need it now...Shirley someone is going to use your body...I need answers that only she can answer."

Shirley for a short moment her eyes lose their luster and her arms fall to her side. She blinked once and her facial expression switched to that of the White Queen. "C.C. you said it was most urgent this isn't the best of times...Everyone in Pendragon is preparing for something big."

C.C. looked over her shoulder at the Irregulars that she had rescued from the Institute, and back to Shirley. "We have important news...V.V. is dead, but..."

Shirley walked over to Lelouch and glanced at his weak eyes. "You were transported to the Akasha weren't you?" She paused, "Or rather your mind was transferred there..."

Lelouch took in a few breaths, "Yes, and that brings my question what is the Sword of Akasha...what is its' purpose."

Shirley motioned to the open bay door of the nearby hanger, and walked towards it. "The Sword of Akasha is a weapon that is capable of wiping entire cites off the face of this planet. It is a weapon that without the activation of its three keys makes it nothing more than a ship like the Ikaruga or the Britannian Aerial Fleet."

Lelouch touched his forehead, and motioned for C.C. to let him go. "Why did you not tell me that Cornelia was at the institute?"

Shirley put a finger against her lips. "I was unaware of Cornelia's presence there...however did you find out what you wanted about joining my white rebellion Lelouch?"

Lelouch put his hand against the nearby wall to take a small break, and rubbed his temple. "I want to know your intentions, I want to know how you except to seal away the Geass that you gave to mankind. I don't want to hear anything but the truth."

Shirley lowered her head, "Very well, do you know the myth of a beautiful woman named Pandora?"

Tokyo Settlement

A transport truck moves along the highway with the rain pelting across its armor plating while it makes its way to the southern barracks. In the large bay the customized Partisan was laid out on its back with polished white armor covering its body. On its shoulder however was the regalia of the White Queen with a Black Rose resting over its top. Feite stood in a pilot suit, and slowly pulled her hair back into a pony-tail. She adjusted the headset over her ear, and cleared her throat. "Rai, the mission will start in five minutes. After we crash through the gates I want you to activate the relays in a particular order. I want you to pulse the area."

The headset crackled slightly and Rai's voice came in. "Sure, but are you driving right now?"

Feite walked over to the cockpit hatch, and climbed into the Partisan. "I'm boarding the Knightmare..." She grinned, "If you're worried about this transport crashing it's built to bring frames to a battlefield. It will plow through everything if its auto-pilot malfunctions."

Rai groaned, "You're bolder than most of the women I've met in my whole lifetime."

The spot lights on the Southern Barracks quickly rotated and flash onto the speeding Knightmare transport. The automated turrets quickly rotated and lock onto the path of the transport.

"Attention unidentified transport! Slow your approach and be prepared to be searched!"

Feite closed her eyes, and gripped the controls while the monitors around her activate one by one. The locks on the pedals and hand-controls remove one by while the machine hums to life. The warnings from the tower relays into the cockpit with Feite slowly counting down from ten. The sound of bullets hitting the transport echoed into the interior with some hitting the Partisan firmly held within. The bullets ricocheted around the thick armor covering the Partisan, and without a second Feite's eyes shot open.

The rear compartment of the transport exploded in a plume of crimson smoke and from the rear the Partisan emerged. It skidded across the bullet ridden pavement and raised a bazooka over its shoulder. A targeting sensor flashed over Feite's eye, and within a second the trigger was pulled. The missile flew past the control tower, and flew vertically. The casing around the missile jettisoned showing a bay full of bomblets detaching one by one falling to the ground with the rain around them.

The commander's eyes went wide while grabbing the radio from his subordinate. "Sound the alarm! This is the Southern Barracks..." The radio let out a loud screech, and quickly around the entire base the power started to turn on and off. The Commander threw the radio down, and rushed over to the window overlooking the main gateway. "What is going on? Why are we losing power? Who is attacking us?" The Commander's eyes narrowed at the explosion at the main gateway, and quickly the building started to shake.

The base was quickly engulfed in a torrent of explosions rocking the structures on several buildings before another missile could be seen flying overhead.

Governor General's Office

Suzaku quickly ran alongside a catwalk tugging on the collar of his pilot suit. "Damn it, I knew they would plot something with Gino and Aurelia away!" He made his way to the prepared Lancelot, and climbed into the cockpit. "Anya? Are you ready to go?" He glanced across the way over at the Mordred walking out of its maintenance bed.

"It's late...who is attacking?"

Suzaku looked at the blurred monitors, and shrugged his shoulders. "We don't know...but the southern barracks is nothing but a firestorm now. I think it's the Black Knights."

Anya adjusted her headpiece, and let out a loud yawn. "How does the enemy keep getting machines into the country? Are there more traitors?"

Suzaku flipped several switches bringing the Lancelot's flight pack to life. "I don't know Anya, let's get there quickly!"

Southern Barracks

The Partisan tossed the launcher to the side and removed a combat shotgun from its skirt armor. Feite was completely focused with the Knightmare responding as if it were her own body. Her timing was slightly off, but the Knightmare Frame hangers explode one by one. Feite glanced at the side monitor filled with the numbers and access codes to all the Avalon Programmed Frames in the base. Her hands move quickly on the keyboard overwriting the self-detonation codes given to the frames by the Britannian Military. After-each successful code, a Knightmare exploded creating secondary, and tertiary explosions.

Feite brought the Partisan to a complete stop over the flaming ruins of one of the Knightmare Frame Hangers. Its eyes let out a bright flash while the flames danced around the unpainted Knightmare. The magazine detached from the shotgun crushing the tarmac at the feet of the Knightmare while the secondary support arms on the heavy armor reload the handheld weapon.

Within seconds a few Knightmare Frames that had managed to survive the attack from Feite spring to life. The hodgepodge of damaged units with minimal weapons start to attack. A flurry of bullets fly from the flaming wreckage of the hangers. The bullets splinter into the heavy supplemental armor shroud enveloping the Partisan alerting Feite to the presence of the survivors.

"Huh? Not all of them were destroyed?"

Feite looked puzzled for a moment while glancing at the "disconnected" monitor on the holographic display.

"Someone disabled my remote uplink...who has that much authority to do this?"

The Partisan boosted backwards behind a series of buildings, and pressed its back against the wall. A few bullets fly into the building breaking through concrete, and shattering the windows. There were at least five pings appearing on the radar sensor with Feite trying to regain control of the satellite.

Governor General's Office,

In a dimly lit control room, Nina Einstein typed feverishly on the console. There were countless lines of code flooding the screen while a somewhat chaotic look was displayed across her face. "I knew there was a security loop-hole that let you bypass every safeguard...I don't think you'll have a easy time with me monitoring every system in this settlement. Your skill has dwindled you exile."

Nina glanced at the static filled image of the lone Partisan attacker via an intact security camera. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the machine, as if she knew who the pilot inside was. She moved her hand to the headset mounted in her ear, and spoke softly into it. "Lords Kururugi, and Alstreim...I've disabled the hacker's control over the Southern Barracks. However almost 86 percent of the bases frames are destroyed or non functioning...The attacker is..."

The radio crackled slightly with Suzaku's voice coming in shortly after. "I know...it's her...it's Feite Avalon!"

Nina let out a devilish grin, "Suzaku...please this time kill her...get the revenge for Princess Euphemia's death!"

Southern Barracks

The Partisan moved like a ghost across the field of battle with its shotgun shattering what little remained of the explosion rattled armor of the other Frames. Even though Feite was locked out of detonating the remaining machines, she was still far beyond the capability of the Britannian Pilots in terms of skill. The Partisan despite its heavy armor was moving unhindered by the additional weight, and with each blow it took to its armor responded with a flurry of gunfire.

A Glaive creaked as its body was mangled by a shot from the Anti-Knightmare Shotgun with pieces of its armor flying in every direction. It fell back slowly, and in that moment a Slash Harken flew from the distance.

"This ends tonight Feite Avalon!"

Feite could hear the proximity alarms going off, and promptly pulled on the controls evading the attack from the White Knightmare hovering in the sky. She lowered her head slightly, and listened to the voice of her 'former' friend. "Oh, just the person I wanted to humiliate...and you bought a friend."

Anya's hands were frozen over the controls of the Mordred. Her eyes were focused on the Partisan, but her small fingers couldn't move an inch.

Suzaku glanced over his shoulder, "Anya what are you doing? FIRE!"

Anya's small state of paralysis quickly fades, and from the Mordred's cannon a compressed beam of particles fires at the lone Partisan.

The beam completely missed the Partisan and hit the administration building in the distance destroying it completely. Feite charged forward at the Mordred casting away its shotgun and ejecting a combat knife from a storage unit within the forearm armor. The edge of the knife started to glow crimson while it closed the distance.

"Are you scared of me? Little one?"

Anya scoffed, "I'm afraid of no-one." The Mordred fired another shot at Feite, and like the previous shot it missed with the residual heat melting part of the shoulder armor.

Feite's machine continued with the combat knife piercing into the Mordred's shoulder joint. "You're not the one I want to duel. So stay here like a good child."

Anya pulled at the controls, and her eyes widen at the flurry of crimson warning messages flashing across her screen. "What did you do? A virus what is this?"

The Lancelot charged forward at Feite and with its leg kicked at the Partisan. The limb smashed against its center mass knocking it backwards from the Mordred. "Get away from her! Anya are you alright?"

Anya sat in a darkened cockpit with her head hung low. "I'm fine...my knightmare is disabled...I failed." She paused, "Don't let that knife hit the Lancelot..."

Suzaku glared at the Partisan in the distance, and growled. "Does your cowardice have no end Feite? Using a weapon like that to win?"

Feite looked at the Lancelot, and let out a small chuckle. "I will do whatever I need to get my message across." She paused, "After-all my white wings have been stained black by the man you call the Emperor." She charged forward at the Lancelot with weapon drawn.

"Too slow!" The Lancelot dashed out of the way of the Partisan, and slashed at its revealed backside with its MVS Sword.

Feite jerked forward from the attack, and started to chuckle. "You've improved a lot Suzaku..." She moved her hand to the center console, and pushed a series of buttons.

The Partisan's supplemental armor started to discharge compressed air and detach from the frame of the machine underneath. The heavy blocks of armor crushed the ground underneath revealing a machine with little to light armor around its limbs. The only armored portion was its head, and main body.

Suzaku looked at the Lightly Armored Partisan, and frowned. "Do you think that sacrificing your armor that you have a chance against me?"

Feite shook her head, "If I thought I didn't have a chance I wouldn't have drawn you here..." She looked at the Governor General's office in the distance. A shadow overcame Feite's eyes while she spoke softly into the intercom. "Tell me one thing Suzaku...did you send Kallen Kouzuki over to the mainland?"

Suzaku's eyes went wide while a golden ring appeared around his eyes. "What is..." A screeching sound filled his head forcing his hands from the controls and to the sides of his head. "What did you do? How are you..." He let out a pained yell while swinging his head violently.

Feite lifted her head showing her golden amber colored eyes. "I've changed since the last time we met. Now tell me where are you holding Kallen Kouzuki!"