Author's Ramblings: Ugh, this chapter was just as complicated to write as the last one. Analyzing the issues of characters is a bloody chore, but a necessary part for their development. There isn't much action yet, however, things are going to start heating up very soon.
Anyway, since a few people have asked... again, just what are the details of Nunnally's power, here they are, just to remind you.
Perception Hijack - the ability to steal any sense from one body within a short range and implant it into another, either completely overriding the target's sense, or simply switching it between them. At peak power, multiple targets can be affected, but it is very difficult to coordinate shifts in say, combat. Neither she nor her victims lose anything but the sensations they would normally feel. Hope it clears things up
Aside from that, there is little to add. Enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review.
Chapter 24: Crossing the Rubicon: Price of War
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04:00, April 8th, Friday
Shikine Island, Area 11
South-eastern shore, site of the battle
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With a forced effort, Lloyd Asplund made the motions of going through the remnants of the battle a little while ago. If he wasn't depressed enough already, this would have been enough to do him in.
The previously untainted wilderness that covered most of the island was seared clean to the ground by combat in many places, trees ripped out of their roots, earth gouged out, forming long trenches and craters, and all that joined by the metallic carcasses of broken Knightmare Frames from both sides of the conflict. It was a graveyard, he tiredly noted, and he wasn't looking forward to digging among the dead and gone.
Thankfully, prince Schneizel had been lenient towards him, and interested in one sole area: the place where Cornelia and Zero were last seen. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but the prince had asked that he look for anything out of place.
As he approached the crater the artillery fire had created, his thoughts turned to his still missing assistant, Cecile. He couldn't say that he didn't miss her constant help, nor her obvious talent, but both were the last things on his mind right now.
For as long as he knew her, she had been the sane part of the duo, the person who kept his not so subtle tendencies from spiraling into oblivion. Cecile was a dear friend, and perhaps at a time she could have been more… but he was who he was, and most likely he would remain forever married to his work until he burned himself out.
It was a sobering thought, depressive as the many others he had over the past few months, but then he usually had something to distract him from it. For now, the task laid before him would have to do the trick. At the heart of the crater were two broken shells, the object of his impromptu quest.
With some degree of glee, no matter how forced it truly was, he slid down the steep edges of the crater, reaching the machines. Dropping the backpack of his back, he got out the first of his tools, and set down to work.
There was something to be said about the clearly sociopathic madman at work. The normally eccentric scientist was deathly silent, completely immersed in his work as he flowed from one part of the broken machine to the other, returning only occasionally to recheck something or to test a theory while doing so.
Lloyd never made an effort to hide that he loved his work very much, and whoever was assigned to work with him eventually gave up for the simple fact that no normal human could keep up with his tempo. For all intents and purposes, once his 'science mode' took over, he sustained himself on a pure diet of work for endless hours at a time. Which also explained why he got all those shiny diplomas and could, with little effort get the funding for any project he suggested.
Before dawn was even close, under the light of the reflectors set up to illuminate the area, he finished his preliminary findings, typing them out on the computer and sending them off to the prince.
"All in a day's work." He muttered flatly before returning to the two frames. There was still a lot of work to be done, and he couldn't wait to prepare his daily those of vindictive pettiness on the account of the clearly failing design of the princess' personal knightmare. What were those people thinking with such pathetic armaments? A lance and a machine-gun? 'Merciful heavens, Cecile knew better than that when she had just graduated!' he thought, his mind recoiling only slightly as it once more thought of his missing friend. With a distinct fondness, he smiled, the normally frightening look replaced by a far calmer, almost innocent one.
He could understand military strategy to some degree. He could put together with ease the reasons why Cecile, and likely himself, were targeted here. But… but, if Zero had done anything whatsoever to harm her… there would be hell to pay, his career and life be damned. There were still a number of favors the Earl could call upon, and his own personal resources were only somewhat limited.
Still, despite the recent worries, he retained the same level of immersion in his work he always did. Despite his wishes, rescuing Cecile was far beyond his abilities, and he could only hope that it would turn out well in the end.
For the time being, he would turn to one apparent cure for his… more esoteric issues. Besides, that command frame did have a rather curious looking machine attached to it.
"Gentlemen." He called to the soldiers that had by now lined the edge of the crater, a worrying smile on his face. "I am going to need a volunteer here."
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09:00
Tokyo Concession, Area 11
Viceroyal Palace, Chambers of Euphemia li Britannia
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As befitting the Sub-viceroy, the small complex making up her chambers possessed a decently sized office where one could focus him or herself on work. The young woman currently present there walked about with a worried frown, taking short but urgent steps as she paced.
Dressed in finery, as befitting her position, she was ready for the day's work, but the daily report her sister was supposed to send last night still hadn't arrived. While Cornelia may not have been known as a perfectly punctual person, some sort of news would have arrived normally by now, and she couldn't help but start worrying.
She was grateful though that there was at least one person she knew she could count on left. Andreas Darlton, despite his insistence, had been requested by Cornelia to remain here, and ensure that no disturbances occurred while she visited the northern part of the islands, and while she would have appreciated more people, the scarred veteran was an excellent advisor in matters of politics if for nothing else, for his ability to read people with ease.
Even now, he stood by in perfect calm, a stark contrast wrought by his own iron discipline. His uniform was the picture of perfection, without the slightest crease or wrinkle, and with not a single speck of dust upon it.
'What are you doing now sister? What could have caused your delay?' dark thoughts continued swirling in her mind, worries she did not want to think about, but had to regardless.
"Lord Darlton." She addressed finally, deciding it would be best to bury herself in work, rather than risk nervous breakdown. "I will need your advice on a few matters."
"I am at your service, your highness." Andreas responded solemnly. She found it really funny, how all of Cornelia's subordinates had formed an image of her which was very similar to Cornelia herself, that of a little girl, still unready for the ardors of court and political life. Perhaps they were right, but it didn't mean that she wasn't willing to make sacrifices when needed, and more importantly, the further she delayed learning the reigns, the more it would hurt her in the long run.
"Please, no need to be so formal. I wish the voice of your wisdom and experience, as mine is sorely lacking." Euphemia offered in turn, clasping her hands one around the other as she finally settled down on the large chair placed behind her desk. "Tell me, why do Honorary Britannians face such a stigma within our society?"
For a long minute, Darlton considered what would be a fitting answer, both in the sense that it would explain the matter to the young sub-viceroy, and in the sense that it wouldn't end with him being skinned alive by Cornelia. Indeed, the woman was protective of her sister, but now, he decided, it would be worth risking a skinning. Giving a soft 'hum', he walked over to a nearby closet, retrieving a large map of the world. As he unrolled on the table, Euphie noted that it was a political map, clearly displaying the borders of countries and cities, rather than the landscape.
It was an up-to-date map, showing many of the conquests Britannia had achieved in the past months, as well as the newly instated border slightly south of the Pyrenees, where the city of Zaragoza served as the primary staging point for a further assault. Elsewhere, it showed, covered in blue, a decent chunk of southernmost Africa, parts of Asia, and the entire western continent, a good tell of how large the Holy Britannian Empire had grown over the recent years.
"Tell me your highness, when you take a look at this map, what do you see?"
"The world…?" she almost naively said, but the knight could tell that she was thinking, trying to figure out what he had meant, therefore, he let her complete her line of thought. What she concluded on her own would be worth to her far more than anything he could explain. To his pleasure, something finally clicked in her mind, and her eyes began searching the map almost frantically, putting together the details.
"Wait… this is mostly about Britannia's recent expansion, isn't it? Fifteen years ago, the Empire held the American continent, as well as some minor holdings on Iceland and Greenland. But in just five years, our territory grew by roughly thirty percent, and the population rose by at least twenty million… the nobles fear competition, do they?" she spoke, bringing the final conclusion with a small smile. To her pleasure, Darlton nodded, before continuing.
"Indeed. The mindset of the average noble has it that as members of the Britannian people, they are superior to those of any other nation, regardless of actual merit. At the same time, many of them fear that if Honorary Britannians are granted full rights in the military, other paths would soon open to them as well, and they fear that the power they hold will be lessened, or worse, usurped, by the newcomers to society. And rightfully so." He explained, pointing occasionally at specific areas of the map which were recently connected to the subject at hand. The small smile that had tugged at his lips remained
"Because the upper echelons of society are stagnant, and they fear change? Also, by allowing equal rights to those who are not Britannian by birth, they would also limit their power over the conquered territories, thereby stopping the growth of their wealth and influence, which is the main reason why they are so interested in these wars?"
"Again, quite correct. Area 11 is especially troublesome, as Britannia heavily relies on the production of Sakuradite for its military machine… and there is the matter of the deaths of prince Lelouch and princess Nunnally. The nobility are not quick to forget such things… the Royal Family even less, especially when joined with the death of prince Clovis as well. People will associate the Elevens with their deaths, regardless of the actual perpetrator, which further harms their position."
To his well trained eye, it wasn't overly difficult to pick up the slight flinch that Euphemia made at the mention. It was something to be expected, she was very close to both Nunnally and Lelouch. And Clovis, despite his eccentricities, was generally liked among the entire family. Despite his understanding, he knew she would sooner or later have to harden herself to the fact if she wished to survive the Royal Court.
"Very well then, unless you have more questions?" he politely offered, slowly rolling up the map.
"No, lord Darlton. Thank you." She responded when the computer terminal built into her desk blinked, noting an incoming transmission. A mandatory check revealed it to be from the 'Avalon', the airship her brother Schneizel was traveling on to Japan. She wondered for a moment why he would be contacting her, but then again, she didn't especially mind. It would likely prove to be a good distraction from her.
Putting on a vibrant, if only slightly faked smile, she nodded slightly to Darlton, who immediately recognized the dismissal and removed himself from the chamber. Alone, she switched the transmission to the room's big screen.
The countenance of prince Schneizel was far from his usual self. He held himself well, his iron will subduing most of the signs, but it wasn't overly difficult for her to tell that he hadn't seen a bed in days, and that the smile, though there, was barely able to conceal the turbulent emotions beneath.
'-'Greetings princess Euphemia...'-' he began cordially, but it was a formal greeting, which considering the private frequency he was using was already a sign that not everything was right. Combined with his appearance, it already began to slightly worry her.
"It is good to see you again prince Schneizel. Is everything well?" she eagerly responded, hoping that her fears were unfounded. It was there for but a moment, the slight shiver and twitch at the corner of his lips, the way his eyes darted away and returned to her, but she saw it. The how and why escaped her, but she noticed such details now.
'-'I fear it is not. It pains me to bear such bad news, but I believed it best to personally deliver it. Your sister, Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia is missing, officially presumed dead.'-' he said, the dam that held him back finally breaking. '-'During an engagement with the Black Knights, she was surrounded, and expecting death to come soon regardless, she ordered that her position be bombarded as she grabbed onto Zero's command frame… '-'
They say that eyes are the mirrors of the soul, and that in them, more frankly and truthfully than anywhere else, our emotions can be read. Whether this is true or not, to Schneizel, it wasn't overly difficult to spot the sense of slowly dawning horror and grief on his half-sister's face.
But beneath the already turbulent surface, another set of emotions raged. The moment that Schneizel had explained things, it dawned on her, exactly what she had done, what she was responsible for. The deaths of her sister and brother were on her hands, because she didn't entrust her sister with the identity of Zero ahead of time.
She desperately wanted to say something, to ask Schneizel to tell her it wasn't true, to deny it… anything, just to at least for a moment quell the growing flood of emotions. She tried in vain; the sheer shock of the news had stolen her voice. All she could do was wait for Schneizel to continue speaking, which he thankfully did after what seemed an eternity.
'-'…however, both frames were recovered and are missing their cockpits. Despite the official predictions, I believe that they're both still alive. Earl Asplund assures me that the triggering mechanisms fired intentionally on both frames. I have organized search parties to cover the entire surrounding region, and I intend to find them.'-' Schneizel completed his sentence., before his face softened considerably '-'Keep faith Euphie, your sister is strong, if there's any chance of her survival, she's bound to have taken it. Now I must bid you farewell, duty calls. I will contact you as soon as I learn anything.'-'
As soon as the screen turned off, the façade irrevocably shattered, and tears, barely held back, broke free. She drew her feet up on her chair, hugging her knees close and burying her face in them to muffle the sobs. She couldn't bring herself to care about propriety or about someone coming in and seeing her any longer… the only two things that remained on her mind were sorrow and a desperate hope that Cornelia and Lelouch still lived.
'Please be okay…'
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Morning, Kamine island
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The early rays of morning light gently fell on his eyelids, their warmth being just enough to stir him from his slumber. Comfortable as he was, lying on the warmed stone plate with his own arm as a pillow, he only now remembered where he was, and that the warm body sleeping next to him wasn't Nunnally. It caused a moment's shock, but little more.
With his return to wakefulness, his senses slowly sharpened themselves. The dullness just before waking was a bad habit he had developed in recent months, and nothing he did seemed to shake it off, though in the end, he realized it was because of the inherent trust he put in those he had slumbered beside. Indeed, life could at times be cruelly amusing, to those who had the will to distance themselves.
Quietly, he removed himself from Cornelia's vicinity, but not before carefully wrapping her up in his cloak, ensuring that she remained warm until the sun fully rose. It was relatively warm, but he wasn't enjoying it that much, as the sleep had brought back the mild illness he had contracted before the battle.
For now, he had a full schedule of things to accomplish until Cornelia woke up, and they returned to their conversation. Small things, but important… the world did not stop turning merely because he was inconvenienced for a while. If anything, the hopefully short break might yet prove to be beneficial in the end.
But for now, there was time to take another test. For a while now, he had suspected that the power which had resided in his eye was slowly changing. He was careful about its use, knowing that it could come back to haunt him, but he wasn't foolish enough not to anticipate the possibility of drawbacks due to overuse, especially because of his sight.
'Let knowledge form the foundation of your power.' He mused as he willed the Geass to life. Eagerly it came, he noted, the slight burning he had already learned to anticipate, but it was slightly different, softer, more inviting. Was it like that always, or did he only now begin to pay attention? No… he paid attention, it was the Geass that was changing. C.C. hadn't spoken much of its power, he had concluded everything on his own, but this piece of news was worrying, as the change might not be beneficial…
Quietly, he sighed, and let his sight wander around. While he couldn't see the ground, nor the trees that were likely there, Lelouch had trained his mind well to exactly memorize any route taken, and by now had a decent mental map of the small area he had covered since awakening on the shore yesterday.
The fact that they weren't located by now meant either that they had been signed off as dead, or that the search parties had no idea where exactly they were. From what little he could remember of the survival training that Todoh had put Suzaku through, the first things you needed to concern yourself with were shelter, fresh water and food, mostly in that order… and he was unable to locate any of them.
Were it not so irritating, he would laugh at the irony of surviving the lethal amount of firepower aimed at him, only to perish on a deserted island from starvation and dehydration. For all his intellect and skill, he would have to ask Cornelia's aid in this, for he was as powerless as an infant.
'How tiresome… I have all the time in the world, and nothing to fill it with.' He mused in silence, letting the sound of the waves and winds fill his ears. Eventually, he began walking about, slowly expanding the area he knew, until he felt his foot step on something solid.
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When consciousness finally returned to her, Cornelia could only notice how well rested she felt, right before her keen ears picked up the sound of an object swinging through the air, accompanied by a loud exhale. Again, and again, and again it repeated, slowly gathering speed with each passing coming.
By the time she had opened her eyes and looked, it had reached a constant, high speed of repetition, but strangely, the breathing had actually slowed down. Looking around, it took her only a moment to spot the source.
Standing a dozen meters or so away, Lelouch had immersed himself in practicing something with a wooden stick. Casting of all of his clothes but his pants to the side, most of his upper body was shining in the sun from sweating, but his breathing remained calm. The movements were minimalistic, lacking any attempt at a flourish, and moving only the parts of the body that were needed for maximum speed and control.
And suddenly, he stopped, the blade freezing in the air mid-swing. "You are awake." He noted, turning just a bit towards her, letting out his breath as he did so. Despite the obvious exertion, he didn't look tired in the least. "I suppose you wish to continue the conversation from yesterday?"
"We never finished properly, Lelouch. There are still thinks I wish and need to know." She responded in a worried tone, her mind once wandering off to her sister.
"Yes, our conversation last night ended so abruptly." Lelouch returned with a chuckle, laying down his 'sword' with all the care and respect one would to a proper blade. It had been a while since he had last had a chance to go through his katas… he had missed it, greatly. It brought a measure of peace and calm to his mind, something that was difficult to attain in these turbulent days.
"If I may ask…"
"What I was doing? Training. It's a habit I've picked up… helps keep me calm, and my body in top shape." He explained kindly. The void of silence however, clearly told him that this situation wasn't going to go away so easily. Yesterday, Cornelia was exhausted by the ordeal, but today, her mental faculties were fully with her… which meant a number of unpleasant questions.
"Lelouch."
And he didn't even need to see to know that she was sending her best melt-steel glare in his direction. Sighing, he reminded himself that there was a reason he had chosen to wear a mask over his face. That, and that if he ever got the chance, he was going to make Schneizel's life a living hell. Then, he began laughing, entertained deeply by the sheer comedy and stupidity of the situation.
After all, he was standing once more at the crossroads, poised to make a decision that would shape not only his life, but the lives of so many others, and he was acting like an annoyed kid being lectured by his mother. Perhaps he had finally gone insane.
He didn't know what manner of expression Cornelia made at his somewhat questionable actions. Quite frankly, he wasn't even sure he wanted to know, but now was not the time to play around.
"I will not be guilted Cornelia, my sins may be many, but so are yours." he spoke, taking a far firmer stance than at any point in their previous conversations.
Despite knowing how much he had grown up, she had still expected something else of him… perhaps it was still difficult to accept that the missing boy that was her brother might truly be dead and gone after all.
"Fine. At least tell me what happened. Complete your story while there is still time… I have little doubt that Nunnally has given up looking for you, and Schneizel will have the area combed either way."
"That I will." He stated, stopping for a moment as his eyes once more took that far off look. "But not yet… I do not know how much time we have left, and there is something of far greater importance to discuss first. There is a threat that you need to be aware of. Tell me, have you ever heard of something called Geass?"
"Is this a joke Lelouch? I have no desire to hear fairy tales right now." She responded, her tone showing that she felt insulted by the course the conversation had taken.
"Hardly." He responded flatly. "It is the crux of this entire conversation, and the greatest threat bearing down on all of us."
"Spare me the melodrama and get to the point." She cut him off, her tone irritated.
"The point?" he spoke with a forced calm, turning to face her, and it was only then that she saw it for the first time, the crimson light shining from his left eye. Time slowed down to a crawl as she felt an alien presence, probing at her will, and an eternity passed before she realized exactly where it came from.
There was no emotion on his face, none but a melancholic scowl that did nothing to tell the truth hidden beneath. Any thought of mockery vanished from her mind… this was no joke, she realized.
"The Power of Kings, Geass, given by those who bear the Code to people of their choosing. It manifests differently in those upon who it is bestowed. " he began, taking a single step forward to a slowly retreating Cornelia.
"In one case, it gave the power to manipulate the memories of others." a further step.
" In another, the ability to dominate their wills. " another.
"A third still, to steal their very senses." and another, before stopping, letting out an irritated sigh and bringing his right hand to his face. The scowl faded away, quickly replaced by a worried look.
"And those are just those I know of… make no mistake, there are more, but I am unaware of them, yet. In all cases, it is signified by a mark, a stylized bird with its wings spread, like the one you see in my left eye."
By the time he had finished, Cornelia was visibly shaken, but she held her own… even if this was another bomb that he had dropped, by now she had recovered enough that it wouldn't be able to stop her. The action, however, was enough to tell her all that she needed to know. He had held her in his power, and did nothing to harm her… there was much to be said about such choices, and the fact that she now understood how many times the whole situation had repeated itself.
"I get it now." She said, a distinct tone of triumph in her voice. "That's what was going on all this time… why Jeremiah and Villeta had no idea what happened to them. Why Clovis' trailer was left completely unguarded?"
"You are, of course correct." He agreed, a suitably melancholic smile drawing at his lips as he spoke. "But, I have drawn the line a long time ago… there is a limit to what I am willing to do to achieve my goals. When I first came to Clovis, I was still enraged by the fact that because of him, Nunnally and I had nearly died. In the end, I am not really sure why we fought at all… at the time, neither of us could see another way out."
"War is a battle between pride and life…" Cornelia muttered, taking a few steps until she was standing next to him. "After such a protracted battle, you didn't see a way out because it would demand that one of you walk away defeated… and neither would accept it."
"Perhaps there is merit to that thought." He acquiesced, shrugging lightly. "There is one last bit I haven't told you. Even before we met in Shinjuku, Clovis knew of the Geass. While he hadn't told me from where, and I was too carried away to ask him, I have my suspicions from where he learned. Me and Nunnally bear two of the powers I know of… the third one belongs to Charles zi Britannia, and I suspect that is where Clovis learned of it."
Cornelia remained eerily silent at his words. Whether it was shock, or simply her mind going over it, he couldn't tell, and he had no desire to draw upon the power of his Geass to look further.
Eventually, she let out a quiet sigh, giving a shake with her head.
"Thinks can never be simple, can they…" wearily, she let out before looking at the horizon. "There is a storm coming. We really should look for shelter."
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16:00
Area 17, Jakarta
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In a high-rise overlooking Jakarta, the young lady Ashford found herself hard at work. After transmitting the frequency for the tracer, her first action was to steady herself. She could not afford to be seen as weak, especially not now that she was in the middle of negotiations to improve her foundation's standing within the city.
A number of small projects had been started, some of which were effective recruitment drives for the young and bright, while others simply helped the communities around the region where the Icarus Institute was located. The entire plan was to ensure their position, while at the same time gathering potential allies and capable talent. Indeed, she mused, the entire power of the Ashford family now backed one man, just as much as it belonged to him.
Despite her demeanor, she was not naïve. Milly knew full well how much of the power she now wielded was effectively borrowed, but then again, she hardly minded. The young woman had absolutely no problem to put herself to work for the sake of the one she had by now fallen in love with. And she had complete trust in him as well… Lelouch had held her life in his hands, and chose the nobler path. The act itself merely confirmed what she had believed of him for years.
And that was enough to keep her calm. Nunnally believed C.C., and so did she. If the immoral woman claimed that Lelouch was alive, then he was… if nothing more, it was her duty to keep herself on schedule.
Which, in turn, shook her from her reverie. There was little time to waste lazing about, and there was a good reason for her to be contacting Lelouch… the various blueprints and other fragments of technology that Rakshata had uploaded to her had jumpstarted the efforts of her researchers and engineers by weeks, if not months, and the report she was about to receive in a few minutes was one that would need to reach the leader of the Black Knights as soon as possible.
A sharp knock on the door reminded her that the person she was meeting had arrived.
"Enter." she ordered shortly, and the door opened "Hello, miss Weston. I take it you have a report for me?"
The black haired woman nodded politely, taking the opportunity to close the door and sit down in front of her, fiddling with the stack of papers and folders in her hands before she pulled out a few, placing them in front of her boss.
"Certainly, miss president. Over the past week, sub-project Phantom has completed final testing phase, along with projects Prometheus, Vindicator and Providence who are entering the last phases of construction. They should be complete by the end of the week. However…"
"Yes Mira, what is bothering you?" Milly asked with slight annoyance. Why couldn't she just get to the point already?
"We've come across something in the files you've made available to us… a schematic of sorts. The group responsible for going through Code-R intel managed to piece together what it is, mostly." Mira explained, putting out a printout of the file. "Take a look."
"You will forgive me if my knowledge is limited…" Milly trailed off, taking a studious look at it. The text was short, but the implications were worrisome. The small report spoke of the effects of nanite implants on damaged nervous tissue, cellular regeneration and control of hormonal levels. She might not have been a scientist, but she knew enough to understand the weight of such concepts. Especially if they were successful.
"Valkyrie?" she read the name at the end of the file.
"We are still uncertain what it is, but it seems to be some sort of abandoned project. There are several more reports, but we've only partially decrypted them. References are made to 'Subject Alpha' and 'Subject Beta', but there's no more than that to go on. Also, we still don't know if it works or not, the nanite schematics are among the encrypted files as of yet." The project head responded warily, fiddling with the rest of the papers in her hands. "Should I keep on digging?"
"Do that. Keep it under wraps and keep me informed. I don't like the looks of this." she ordered, escorting the woman out of her office.
"Understood. I'll keep on it."
As the door closed, Milly clenched her fist, rapping it slightly on the wood. Again, she was served a harsh reminded of just what kind of a world she had entered and of the stakes that were inherent in it. The unease she had felt was carefully concealed beneath her calm face, but now that her guest was gone, it had begun slipping out.
She worried now, and for the first time, the path before her was no longer clear. Wearily, she noted that it would likely get worse.
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16:00
"Umi no Hime", 5 km off the coast of Japan
Archive room
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Ever since waking up and finding that her memories had certain holes in it, she had been dreading this moment. When she had returned from the chaos at Shikine Island, she noticed that the various members of the Black Knights were watching her with far more respect than before, and even a hint of fear and hesitance when approaching her, as if worried that they could be hurt.
At first, she wondered if it was because of idle gossip, after all, she not only had Zero's ear, officially, but was a highly accurate sniper as well, thanks to her good targeting systems and memory. Idly, in a locked down room, she sat down in front of a terminal, imputed her password, and started searching the logs, as her own had to be among them.
"Log files, April 6th to 7th, Shikine Island… that should be it." She muttered to herself, preparing a batch of recordings for viewing. With some amount of hesitation, she opened the first one… her own.
The screen blared to life, revealing the first moments of her deployment. There was little of interest there, so she fast-forwarded to the one point she dreaded seeing again, the time when Lelouch and Cornelia were hit by the continuous barrage of artillery fire. Even seeing it like this again was enough to have her hands start shaking, but she steeled herself, balling her fists and digging her nails into the palms of her hands to focus. She needed to, had to see this.
Nunnally watched herself fire a single shot at the airship, before freezing the video. This was where the part that was missing from her memories began and she couldn't help but dread what was about to come, even if she didn't know what was to come.
Before she could change her mind, the door opened, revealing the familiar green-haired figure of her immortal friend.
"Reviewing your performance in the last battle?" she asked curiously, closing the door behind her as she walked in, preparing a chair for herself.
"Somewhat. I can't remember a part of the battle." The girl responded, not even turning around. Instead, she kept her focus on the frozen video screen ahead of her.
"From what I hear Nunnally, you are perhaps better off not remembering."
"I've been getting that feeling ever since I've started. But I have to."
Nodding in understanding, C.C. simply got close, and started the video again. And so it began. Over the next hour, Nunnally reviewed all the recording of the five minute period she was apparently out, and all showed the same thing.
A Britannian lance moved in to intercept their own retreating forces, a full contingent of twenty-five, right before her own frame descended upon them. Without care for her own safety, she had thrown herself straight in the middle of their formation, hefting the large rifle straight at her enemies.
The opening shot went straight through the captain's cockpit, and she immediately followed up by ripping the machinegun from its inert hands. By then the others moved to engage her, but they were too slow to react, and by that time, she had left the large rifle, and used the new gun to first bludgeon an approaching frame away, then to riddle another full of holes. At the same time, she, fired her Slash Harken into a third one, pulling herself close as it held ground, and crushing its head with her fist, right before spinning over it, attaching her sole remaining Chaos Mine to its back, and pushed it forward springboarding of its shoulders.
By the time the smoke cleared, fourteen were down, and she had discarded the empty gun for a lance in one hand, and gun in her other, almost a mirror image of how Cornelia had fought earlier, but somehow far more feral, intimidating. She had stood still only for a moment before she charged, releasing a hail of bullets on her enemies, before impaling one on the lance, which she left in its body as it detonated, instead taking its own weapon, and proceeding to empty the clips into two more enemies.
All this time, they were trying to land blows on her, but to no avail. Against one opponent, their numbers served more to hinder than aid them as she weaved around, using their own allies as protection from their bullets, and her own skill from their melee weapons.
Now, she could tell that she was out of bullets, and basically completely unarmed… and she didn't stop for a second. Slash Harkens fired from both hands slammed into the heads of enemy frames, disabling their primary sensors and cameras, while she closed in and used a ripped out tree to knock them off their feet. Both barely managed to eject before they were crushed.
At her side, C.C. watched with sadness mixed with pride as Nunnally's face slowly paled with each passing second. It wasn't hard to tell why she was paling, the girl had avoided killing anyone ever since Clovis had died, which is why she warned her.
Only five enemy frames remained, pilots visibly shaken by the ruthless display before them. She had looked at the time, only three minutes had passed since this part of the recording had started playing again. Three minutes, twenty enemies down, out of which only two managed to eject. Ghost, she, had entered the battlefield like a woman possessed, and not even the remaining few were shown any mercy. While they decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and began biding hasty retreat, she reached the place where her old rifle was dropped, lifting it slowly, and firing five shots, one after the other.
As the five enemy frames fell to the ground, she stood still, the rifle slipping from the frame's hands. Internal sensors read that she had lost consciousness. The team whose retreat she had covered by removing the enemy lance pulled her out, and the recording ended, the disturbing images replaced by a black screen which made it easy to see her own ashen reflection in it.
"What have I done?" she barely managed to mouth as bile kept rising in her throat. Her entire body was shaking by now, tears streaking lightly down her cheeks as she almost fell from her chair in a bout of weakness, muttering incoherently. C.C. had moved to catch her, but Nunnally managed to regain enough strength to keep her balance. She looked down on her hands, gazing at the blood that both knew wasn't there, but the feeling of guilt and sorrow, mixed with self-loathing was. Slight sobs escaped her lips.
She felt dirty, foul, tainted. A monster wearing the skin of a human. More than twenty people had fallen to her hands that day, callously murdered by a her that wasn't her. It was now easy to understand the note of fear in others… she felt afraid of herself. And worse, would she slip out of control again? What if she turned on her own allies?
"Of all the things, who would have expected your daughter to follow in your steps Marianne?" C.C. warily commented, before putting her hands on the young woman's shoulders in a comforting way. "Nunnally, calm down."
"How am I supposed do calm down?" she managed between her sobs. "After this?"
There was an unstated message there, of what Nunnally was truly afraid and what worried her more than anything else. Despite her maturity, she could still be a child at times, very much like everyone else, and she raised her brother on a pedestal. Perhaps, it was time to break her illusions a bit. Hardening her features, she turned Nunnally around until they were face to face. She didn't like what she was about to do, but it had to be done.
"Stop it. You know better than that, he would sooner let the world burn than leave you behind." She said, her voice sharp and unusually intimidating. "The way you act, as if it were the end of the world...is this who you wish to be? A coward? Where is the proud young woman who stared death in the eyes without blinking? Who without fear stands against the mightiest empire in the world? If this is all it takes to shake you up, perhaps you should think twice about burdening your precious brot…"
And that was as far as she got before a resounding slap to her face interrupted her. Her expression didn't change, but Nunnally's did. The pain was still there, but something had broken with the knowledge she now had, and the rage that now welled up behind normally warm and loving those eyes was enough to give her pause.
"Don't you dare say it." The girl whispered, and yet she might as well have shouted it. She could almost tell the memories replaying themselves in her mind, but it quickly fled her. This wasn't some unrestrained force that lay dormant inside her until now, but one brought forth by purpose and focus, and with it her normal features returned "You think I don't know how all of them look at him? C.C., I don't want him all for myself, as long as he is happy, I am happy. But make no mistake, I will not lose him." She finally spoke, her voice a cold match to C.C.s own at the beginning. The immortal merely smiled in response.
"And now you understand." she returned, smiling serenely. Looking at the rapidly growing young woman, she couldn't help but smile. 'One more tidbit of information won't really hurt, will it? Best that she learn now, for all I know, it could be genetic…'
"Did you know your mother was just like you? Fierce, brutal, merciless against all who were enemies, reserving her kindness for those close to her. In battle, she was a whirling maelstrom of destruction, annihilating any foe that dared come close. There were better warriors, stronger once, but nothing sowed terror and chaos among the enemies like the appearance of Marianne the Flash on the field of battle. It is what earned the fearsome reputation she held for years, it is why no one dared strike at you and Lelouch while she was alive."
Throughout her short trip down memory lane, Nunnally remained quiet, taking all of it in and considering what it meant to her. When she finally spoke, her voice was anything but certain.
"Then perhaps, I need to learn how to control this. This won't be the last time, will it?"
"No. It likely won't. "
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Not that far away, in her own room, Kallen was lying on her bed, deep in thought. Her own memories from the battle were little better than that of her comrades in arms.
The cost of the operation was steep, and roughly a half of their number had suffered at least a minor injury. A third of the Frames were useful only as salvage, including Zero's command frame, while the remainder had to be pulled into repairs, bringing Rakshata very near to a nervous breakdown.
It was difficult to look at things that calmly, though.
"How many have died just here?" she questioned no one in particular, slowly getting up. She needed someone to talk to, she decided… and despite the fact that Ohgi would have been the first choice, the man was too busy right now trying to get the Order back in shape along with Todoh. Nunnally, after losing her brother, even if only temporary, was not the best choice to share her doubts and worries with. Of the others, there were none she trusted enough to bare herself.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't pay much attention as she walked through the corridors of the submarine, absently greeting the various crew members she came across; until she found herself in front of a door she hadn't expected to reach: the prison in which one of the objectives of the mission was held.
'A Britannian… ' she thought angrily, but her rage felt hollow, forced. It was easy to blame Britannia for everything that went wrong, for every loss she had suffered, but she knew by now that she hadn't lost everything, and that the future had something to offer aside from submerging herself into the distasteful world that was Britannian society.
And how right was it to generalize it so much? For the sins of those who were against her to damn all of them? 'No,' she somberly realized 'it isn't. I would be little better than they are. Isn't that the very reason Zero went to such lengths to avoid casualties he could? Not to lower himself to their level?'
'Regardless,' she finally concluded 'she's not a person I should talk to right now… the last thing I need is to make a mess of things and let something slip.'
And so she turned to the one last place where she felt safe. Despite the usual sound of engineers working to keep up with Rakshata's unreasonable demands, the hangars were now silent, the damaged husks that were the Knightmares, standing at attention, even if gravely wounded. In the faint light, their scarred surfaces glinted weakly, but it served little more than to remind her of the vast power that they truly held… and at the end of the line, she could tell a hint of red.
The Gurren was the last remaining friend she could turn to right now. She knew it wasn't alive, not really, but there was the sense of kinship she felt towards her personal frame… it wasn't that hard to understand why Rakshata acted the way she did towards the machines. It was her sword and shield, a stalwart companion who fought with her unflinchingly against every opponent who dared face them.
Giving her companion a silent smile, she stretched her arms before picking up the tools she would need to start fixing him up. Sure, the engineers would get on it eventually, but it was her frame, and it was her duty to keep it in good shape.
Idly smoking from a safe distance, Rakshata found it in her to let an unfettered smile at the sight of the young rebel and her treatment of her child before turning around and leaving, mentally clearing the last bits from the checklist, and deciding to go ahead with her original plan.
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19:00
Mainland Britannia
Westminster Abbey
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There were very few places in Britannia which held as much quiet reverence as the rebuilt Westminster Abbey. Its quiet halls were patrolled by solemn monks, and the Knights of St. John. Despite the fact that Christianity never managed to claim a great political foothold in the world, it had remained a custom among the sovereigns of Britannia, one which had garnered them the support of the church and some of its orders.
After the infamous Humiliation of Edinburgh, the remains of generations of sovereigns who had ruled the empire had been lost to the royal line. Even more so when Napoleon had ordered their resting place torched and burnt to the ground.
It was only the actions of said Knights that saved what little was left before fire consumed it. Smuggled out of conquered Britannian soil by carriages and later, ships, the remains of roughly a half of the Unbroken Line from Eowyn onward were brought to America, where Sir Ricardo von Britannia, a member knight by then proclaimed king, had the Abbey reconstructed from memory, stolen schematics and various paintings, and then interred the remains.
Ever since, the solemn and regal air of the Abbey had been maintained by the two groups, the former being older members of the latter. Despite carrying halberds, each of them carried a personal sidearm under their cloak, attached directly to the rather advanced suit of personal armor.
However, aside for school tours which visited and the occasional dignitary, few people actually came here, and fewer still ever saw, much less entered the inner gardens, where the remains of the first king of Britannia, and founder of the line, were interred. And thus, it served the rather singular purpose of being a uniquely safe place for the Emperor to speak with someone in complete privacy.
And Charles had taken said opportunity, for reasons both serious and sentimental. Next to him was his immortal, ageless brother. In front of him… the graves of his parents.
"How have things been going, little brother?" V.V. questioned. There was an odd note of fondness and sorrow mixed in his voice as his eyes never departed from the headstone. Despite the fact that Charles had become the ruler of Britannia, their parents were rather far down the order of inheritance. It was a humble grave, but it suited them well.
"I remember better times." Was Charles' slightly irritated response, complete with a shake of his head. "The court is descending into bickering and backstabbing yet again while all those who actually have any claim to power keep themselves aside. And with Schneizel and Cornelia currently absent, I have to maintain peace unless I wish for an even bigger headache."
"Truly terrible." The immortal retorted with a chuckle. "I think you will be pleased to know that it is slowly entering the final stages of construction."
"Hm." He shrugged. "It doesn't benefit us much until we recover the second Code. Without it, it is little more than a needless risk."
"Indeed. And with Zero's presence in Japan… especially with C.C. on his side and helping him… we could have a problem in the making there. That son of your is irritatingly competent. I worry what might happen if he discovered our plans." V.V. mused, not really paying any attention to his younger brother, and missing the slight smirk on the man's lips.
'It is to be expected, I suppose.' Charles thought with barely concealed mirth 'With us as his parents, it is foolish to expect him to be a fool, right Marianne? No matter what happens, our goal comes true, and I will repay the favor owed.'
"Well, my spawn, and your nephew, is your problem for the time being. You were the one volunteered to take care of eastern Asia." He offered back in a highly entertained tone.
"Dammit Charles, this isn't the time for jokes. Our efforts may depend on whether or not he discovers the Thought Elevators before we can fully secure them."
"And?" his voice dropped a few degrees, still mirthful, but now also very serious beneath it. "If memory serves, you assured me that you had everything under control, and that 'some foolish rebel would not compromise us'? Were it all empty boasts?"
"I would hardly think so." V.V. retorted. "Still, we can ill afford to have him die now… the death of Zero would spark chaos in eastern Asia, and I doubt we would safely be able to hold onto the one in Japan, let alone access it."
"I assume that means you have a plan of some sort?" Charles questioned in a supremely bored tone, letting his thoughts wander to other things. The way he had to act around his brother was tiring at times, especially these days when he wanted nothing more than to return to his palace, and read in solitude.
"I have already sent an agent, but I am preparing additional measures, if need be."
Author's notes: And yeah, end there. Well, you got your small does of action, retroactive as it was. Should be enough to tide you over until the next major conflict, I hope? Anyway, I've introduced yet another bit of information into the whole mess. I might tell what it's meant to be, or I might not. Depends on whether it strikes my fancy at some point…
A cookie for those who guess what project Valkyrie does and who the subjects Alpha and Beta are or are going to be.
For those curious, the Knights of St. John are based on the Knights Hospitaller, as it is one of their other names, and they were (are still perhaps, but I am uncertain to their status in modern times) a militaristic order.
Also, I've made a rather irritating error with Kaname Ohgi (rather than Oghi as I've written it from the beginning till now, damn spelling). Quite frankly, I don't have the time to go back and fix up the error as college barely leaves me enough time to write as is, however, I'm going to use the proper spelling from now on.
And that would be that. Enjoy the chapter, review and all that. Hopefully, I'll post an update again soon, but I wouldn't be too hopeful, cause right after the winter holidays which start with New Year's Eve, I have a shitload of tests and exams... woohoo, lucky me.