Here we go again, folks! It's another chapter of The Black Steel Prince.
Unrelated tangent: Has anyone here been watching Eureka Seven: Astral Ocean? I have, and by the looks of thing, my next fanfic will most likely deal with that story. Because jeez it's messed up! They only have about a dozen episodes to make this into a coherent story, but the prospects of success are not looking too good. Things are all over the place. About the only reason I am watching that show now is because I want to see cameos of characters from the old series, and I'm sure I am not the only one. Anyway, that's enough of my raging.
Note: I went and added a scene at the start of chapter 22, so that the contents in this chapter fit better. You might want to go check it out.
I don't own anything related to Code Geass
July 6, 2017 A.T.B., Area 11, Tokyo Concession, Central Government Building.
Prince Clovis was sitting at his desk, and he was currently having a conversation with Schneizel via videophone.
"How is your pet project coming along?" Schneizel asked.
"Slowly but steadily." Clovis responded. "We've gathered quite a bit of information on her. And I'm confident you'll be able to use some of it against father."
"I'll be the judge of that. "
"Of course. And how is my return back to the homeland looking up?"
"There hasn't been any unforeseen problems so far, so it's good. It should take no more than two to three months at this point."
"Good! The sooner, the better, as far as I'm concerned. "
"I'm sure it is. And when you get back, I have a particular role that is much more suitable for you than being Vice-Roy. However, before you come back, there's the matter of who's going to take your place. Don't take offence, but it wouldn't be good if your replacement somehow did a worst job than you. "
"Of course it wouldn't. Have you any candidate in mind?"
"Several, and on top of that list is Lelouch."
"Hmmm. I concede your point, he'd probably do a better job than I did, if the success of L.A.I. is any indicator of his management skills. But isn't he off to Russia?"
"He is. But if my hunch is correct, it shouldn't be too long before he'll be due to receive a promotion. Then, I think we can convince him to take on the mantle of viceroy, at least until the Area is more acceptably stabilized."
"If he doesn't get himself killed, that is."
"Have some faith in your little brother, Clovis. And speaking of faith in him, I was thinking of bringing him in on our 'operation'."
"Eh. I'm sure he would like nothing better than to see father crash down from his pedestal."
"I'm sure he would also. By the way, if Lelouch is to take over as viceroy, you might want to start thinking of a way to get rid of the purist faction. They won't work well at all with Lelouch. I'll contact you later, then. See you."
"See you, Schneizel." Clovis said, and closed the connection. He sat back in his chair, gazing upwards at nothing in particular. "You better not die, Lelouch!" He thought.
July 7th, 2017 A.T.B., Area 4 (Greenland), 1st and 2Nd Northern Expeditionary Fleets staging base at Nord
A huge number of ships had been gathered at the naval base that had been built in the last few months to house the first and second fleets.
Helen's predecessor at the head of the Combined Arctic Fleets, now-retired Admiral Rufus Greyhound, had been an ancient man of 85 years who had served alongside Malvolio Constantine on many occasions. While he came from a bygone era, in which steel-clad battleships, cruisers, and dreadnaughts ruled the seas, and was thus largely considered a relic by the people in Pendragon, in no mean was he a decrepit commander that always did things like "in the old days". He understood the value of new technologies, and had surrounded himself with capable, younger people, like Helen. With their help, he had spent the last decade building up the Northern Forces, turning it into a fighting force more than worthy of the name with whatever resources and means he had. Many of the ships partaking in the invasion were warships of older classes that had been refitted (an enterprise in which L.A.I. had been deeply involved.)
The first, along with the second fleet, would be attacking the western part of the Russian Federation. Meanwhile, the third fleet would be attacking the central part the country, and the fourth fleet would be attacking the Eastern part, setting off from Alaska.
It was a huge operation, to say the least. While in theory Field-Marshal Constantine was the top commander, she was going to be overseeing and, if Lelouch had to guess, actively participating in the fighting in the western part. The other two fronts would be handled by people she could trust: Newly promoted Major General Phineas Gonzalez and Major General Myriam for the centre and the east, respectively. Major General Raymond Ford would be supporting the Marshal.
Raymond ford. If the rumors were true, as his record seemed to suggest, the man could very well be on the same level as Schneizel, and Lelouch, when it came to intellect and cunning. You could say Helen was the driving force of whole operation, while Ford was the brains behind it. He was the man who had drawn the invasion plans, and he'd be the one who will give missions and assignments to Lelouch's unit.
And that was why the first thing Lelouch did when they arrived was to go and meet the man, or as newly commissioned Captain Macleod put it, "drop by and say hello!".
After having contacted Ford to let him know he was coming, Lelouch left his men to their preparation and, accompanied by Jeremiah, went to the building housing his office. They were greeted by a woman that looked to be in her mid twenties, with dark skin, yellow eyes and bluish-teal long hair put up in a ponytail and held together by a purple 'sheath' made of cloth.
"Your highness!" She said, doing a slight bow, "I'm Major Viletta Nu. I am Major General Ford's aide. If you would please come this way."
When they got to his office, they found Major General Raymond Ford standing in the middle of the room, staring at a large screen that hung from the wall, quickly browsing through diagrams and maps with the help of a handheld keyboard. He was a 38 years old man, with grey eyes and short jet black hair. He was a bit on the thin side.
"Welcome, colonel vi Britannia. And you too, sir Jeremiah." The man said with a smile. "I'm sorry I don't have tea to offer you, but I have some good coffee ready, if you'd like."
"Certainly." Lelouch said with a nod.
"Major Nu, if you don't mind?" Ford said to his aide, nodding towards the coffee machine sitting on a shelf. Viletta immediately understood.
"Yes sir."
While Viletta made their coffee, the three men sat down, Lelouch and his knight on a couch, and Ford behind his desk, which was littered with papers.
"I'm a busy man, but none the less, I'm pleased to have the opportunity to meet with you before we head into battle. Now, I had something ready for you, if only I can find it…" Ford said as he rummaged through the papers. "Ha, here it is!" He picked up a folder and handed it to Lelouch. "In here is what you need to know in order to get you up to speed about our plans. "
"Thank you." Lelouch said, and handed the folder over to Jeremiah.
"Also, I wanted to talk to you about what battle roles your units might fulfill."
"I'm all ears, General!" Lelouch said, taking the cup major Nu offered him.
Ford when on to talk about a number of possible missions he had in mind. All of them involved hitting the enemy hard and fast: Raiding supply depots and routes, disrupting troop movements, assaulting fortifications, etc.
"Do you believe you and your unit will be up for these tasks?" Ford said, ending his little monologue.
"I believe so, General. I've got some very thought characters in my unit. If I'm correct, they're perfect for jobs like these."
"I would certainly hope so. I look forward to working with you, Colonel." Ford said, extending a hand which Lelouch took, and shook.
"Same here, General."
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the base, in Marshal Constantine's office.
Anastasia had gone to see her mother.
"So," Hellen said, looking at her eldest with her one good eye, "what do you think of him?"
"He seems like a sensible commander. While he lacks real battle experience, I don't believe it should pose a problem."
"Hum. Well, he's seen plenty of what a battlefield was about when he was only twelve, after all." Helen said. "That he would willingly go back to one after witnessing that speaks volume about his determination, and his character."
"I believe so, too."
"So, how does he look to you, as a match?"
Anastasia considered this for a moment, not answering right away. One of the main reasons she had wanted to join Lelouch's unit was that, unbeknownst to the 11th prince, and Anastasia herself until not too long ago, Helen and Marianne had talked about a possible marriage between their two eldest.
"He's…" Anastasia began, her tone unsure, "He seems like a good man, from what I've seen. He's got a good head on his shoulder. Physically, he seems fit, and he looks…" Surprising her mother, Anastasia actually blushed.
"Drop dead gorgeous?" Helen said with a smile. She might be cold, strong willed and over fifty, but she could still recognize a 'hunk' when she saw one.
Anastasia, still blushing, nodded. "Yes. And, well, if I were to compare him to his more notable brothers, he's much more decisive than Odysseus, less pragmatic than Schneizel, and more capable and less flamboyant than Clovis. He clearly has an agenda though, and I think it's safe to say some of it is hidden."
"Of course." Hellen said. "This is Britannia; most nobles have a hidden agenda."
"Especially you!" Anastasia thought.
"About the only nobles who don't have their own game going are eccentrics like the Gottwalds." Hellen continued. "So, do you think he's make a good partner?"
"I believe he would, yes. I can't say if he'd feel the same, however."
"There's only one way to find out. Find him, and tell him I want to talk to him."
And that's what she did. In short order, Anastasia had brought Lelouch in, and Hellen explained to him the situation, about both Anastasia's inheritance and the engagement.
"So," Lelouch said, honestly surprised, "basically, you're telling me my mother and you talked about getting us two together?" He pointed at both him and Anastasia. "This is the first time I'm hearing about this.
"Not surprising. There never was anything official; your mother's death prevented that. However, I have a number of letters from her hand and bearing her seal discussing the matter. I have copies of them right here." She handed him an envelope.
"Could I get to see the originals?"
"Yes, but I don't have them with me. If you wish to see them, drop by our Manor when that'll be possible."
Lelouch frowned. "It might have made things easier if you'd have told me about this earlier."
"Maybe. But I wanted to see what kind of man you'd turn into. Well now I can say that think you would make a good match for Anastasia, she told me she also thinks the same, so what's left is this; what do you think?"
"Hmmm." Lelouch mused. "Well, I think we'd probably be a good match. However, I'd like to have some time to consider this before I reach a decision. Is that agreeable?"
Hellen looked at her daughter, who nodded. She looked again at Lelouch, "Yes, it is. Now, I believe you still have some preparations to make before we set off. You're both dismissed!"
"Yes ma'am!" Lelouch and Anastasia said in unison.
Around the same time, Middle Eastern Federation, a small village in the Elburz Mountains.
Ramon and Raul Castro we're walking around the little village in which their business had taken them today. It was a quaint little place. Not too far away, there was a shepherd boy moving a flock of sheep.
Fidel, Ramon's younger and Raul's older brother, was talking with their client, a billionaire that had made a fortune in the construction business in cities along the Persian gulf before the Britannians invaded.
The three Castro Brothers were exiles from the Island of Cuba, now part of Area 3. The rest of their family had spread out wherever over the years, but this trio always remained together, doing what they did best: Selling and delivering guns and military equipment. They acted strictly as middle-men, delivering weapons and equipment supplied by various peoples and organizations who had a keen interest in foiling Britannia's advance anywhere they could by any means possible.
Ramon took care of the supply, Fidel was the negotiator, and Raul piloted their plane, which, for now, was christened the Magic Carpet III.
Ramon's satellite phone rang.
"Hello!" He said, answering.
"Hi, Mr. Castro."
"Ha, Mr. Papadopoulos!" Ramon said, recognizing the voice immediately. "So good to hear from you! You got a job for us? "
"Indeed I do, Mr. Castro. If I'm not mistaken, you're in Persia, correct?"
"You got us pinned down right, sir! So, what's this job of yours?"
"Please make you way to Athens as soon as you can. I have several shipments that I would like to be delivered to Moscow, ASAP."
"Alright, we're on it! We're off as soon as we wrap things up here!" Ramon closed the phone, ending the connection. "Raul, go start up the plane. I'm going to go and get Fidel."
Fidel Castro had successfully completed the deal and received payment, and was now enjoying the hospitality of their clients and some locally grown Marihuana smooked through a Hookah.
"Waow, this is good stuff!" Fidel said, eyes getting watery. That's when Ramon showed up.
"Fidel! Now's not the time to get stone!"
"Relax, I'm almost finished."
"No you're not." Ramon said, removing the pipe from his brother's hands. "You're finished right now! Come on, we've got a job from the Greek."
"Ha, yes, Mr. Papa! Good. Good. Oufff ." Fidel rubbed his eyes, then shook his head. "Alright, I'm coming." He got up from the cushion he was sitting on. He extended his hand to their client, who took it, and shook it. "I hope we get do business again, Mr. Bin Laden!* I'm sure you'll be more than satisfied with our products! And do make sure you give those Brits hell!"
Fidel picked up the briefcase containing their payment, then turned towards his brother, "Alright, lets go!"
July 8th, 2017 A.T.B., Arctic Ocean, around 300 kilometers north of Greenland, First Northern Expeditionary Fleet, cruiser-icebreaker Resolute
It was 50 minutes to midnight. The massive Resolute had been plowing through the ice-cold waters at cruising speed for half a dozen hours. She was the leader to a group of 10 destroyers and a dozen transport ships. This was the flotilla that Lelouch's unit had been assigned to. Two of his men were outside for a smoke.
"Osti d'calisse fait frete!" Giles said, rubbing his hands together.
"Huh?" Macleod said, not understanding a single word.
"I said god-damn it's cold!" Giles translated.
"You bet it is!"
"But isn't it supposed to be the middle of summer?"
"It's the frigging north pole, mate. Of course it's going to be cold even if it's summer."
"Yeah, but I thought it'd be warmer, at least!"
"It IS warmer! In fact, it's been the warmest summer around here in over a decade!"
"Osti d'tabarnak de sainte vierge! I wouldn't want to live her in the middle winter!"
"Yeah, you'd freeze up like a popsicle. "
Some distance from these two, Lelouch himself was taking a walk on the bridge with Xerxes and Hannibal, who had needed to relieve themselves. He also had plenty to think of, but what was on the forefront of his mind right now was Helen's proposition. He had read the copy of the letters she had given him, and as far as he could tell, they could very well have been written by his mother. The seal was authentic enough. Now was weighing the pros and cons of marrying Anastasia. Firstly, there were several benefits to consider; In all likelihood, he would get the enduring support of the Constantines, one of Britannia's oldest and most renowned families, and he could most likely count on the support of Dominic Silver, who, while having very little direct influence on anybody, was quite popular with the nobility and well off Britannians in general. When Anastasia became Grand-Duchess Leonheart, the title would also reflect on him.
Then, there was Anastasia herself; She seemed quite agreeable, but it could be an act to get close to him. She seemed to be a smart, strong-willed, and decisive woman. Added with her fighting prowess, she reminded Lelouch of his mother, now that he thought about it. But unlike Marianne, she was a pure-blooded noble. That could come in handy when dealing with the throngs of Nobles who gave him a hard time because of his pedigree, and getting the right people to give the go ahead to such a union would probably be easy. And physically, well, she was both a beauty and seemed to be healthy as an ox. She could take care of her own, so for the most part he wouldn't have to worry about her safety. If something were to happen to him, any children they had would be well taken care off.
The negatives, now: Marrying her would mean that he'd be related to whatever shenanigans her mother had planned, if any, and he'd get to have one of the fiercest mothers-in-law in the world!
If you looked at it that way, the benefits far outweighed any inconveniences, and marrying Anastasia seemed to be a good decision. It just this this was so god-damned sudden! He sighed. For now, he should probably go back to planning how to help kick Russia's ass.
It probably won't be an easy task. By far the biggest nation in the EU, it also had the strongest military; while it was inferior in terms of technology to Germany and France, it more than made up for that with sheer numbers. Intel on the German-Developed Panzer Hummel was sketchy at best for now, but it seemed the Russians had developed their own version of the Frame, which was even cheaper and easier to mass produce than the original.
The Russians had been trying to regain their former glory and power ever since the end of the Great-European war some 80 years ago, which opposed the then massive Russian Empire to the E-U. The Russian Tsar, who found himself perpetually opposed to the western-European democracies, dreamed of creating an Eurasian Empire. The conflict lasted three years, was enormously costly both in lives and resources, and left all belligerents weakened for years afterwards. Long story short, the war ended following the death of Tsar Alexander III in unclear circumstances and his succession by his peace-minded son, Nicolas II, who signed an armistice with the EU nations, and engaged the country in a large series of reforms, which effectively changed the government from an autocracy into a parliamentary monarchy. The Russians also lost a good portion of their pre-war territory, some of which the Chinese Federation took the opportunity to seize.
The current Tsar, Nicolas III, the grand-son of Nicolas II, was little more than a very expansive national symbol, much like the Tianzi in the Chinese federation, except that the Russian Monarch's role was clearly defined in the constitution of his country, unlike the Tianzi, which was still officially the supreme, divinely ordained ruler of the Chinese Federation.
While thinking about all that, Lelouch went back inside the ship, carefully circumventing the two smokers as to not instantly smell like an ashtray. He had just taken a shower, after all.
Around forty minutes later, a radio transmission coming from Helen's flagship, the battle carrier Eureka, was transmitted to all the fleets. It was from the field Marshal herself.
"This is Field Marshal Helen Constantine speaking. I have just gotten confirmation that our declaration of war has been received by the Russian Government. All ships are to operate at full battle-awareness as of this moment! We're not up against some small backwater country, but against the Russian Federation! Appreciate that fact! You can count on them to defend their homeland with everything they've got! I want the very best each and every one of you can give me! I want to be at Moscow before winter hits, and so do you, if you don't want to get stuck fighting a war in the middle of the Siberian winter! Show them what you're made of! All Hail Britannia!"
On all the ships, the same cry echoed.
"All Hail Britannia! All hail Britannia! All Hall Britannia!"
End of chapter 25.
Another one done, guys.
I wonder if I'm going to get flak for using the Castros. Hmmm. I hope not ;).
*The client isn't Ossama Bin Laden, but his father, Mohammed bin Laden.
I believe it's pretty clear now that Lelouch is going to be with an OC. I hope this won't frustrate too many people. I'm sorry if you were hoping for a pairing or another with Lelouch, but this is how things turned out.
Until next time, Peace out!
-Please leave a review!