'sup peeps!

This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful Mercedes Benz Line of automobiles, whose quality sturdiness has carried my familly through a rather tough time.

Seriously, the bumpers on those things are incredible, A Bentley rammed up it's behind and because of the bumper, the Bentley took MOST of the damage.

Again, Mercedes rocks.


Chapter 27: Amidst the ruins.

"VOLTTEKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!" Zero roared, launching a blast of purple energy down the middle of the enemy lines, even as the Ikaruga's Hadron Scatter Cannons tore into their flanks, the enemy frames vanishing En masse, even as Xingke gave the order to fall back, ordering his remaining cavalrymen to avoid clustering together, as it was apparent the Black Knight were targeting groups at a time.

"Todoh!" Ohgi called out, the co-commander hailing th General, and all surviving units at the same time "Zero says to get the troops out of there and back on solid ground!" he nodded grimly as he relayed the Tekkaman's strategy. "Zero will hold back to guard your escape route while the Ikaruga leads the enemy away, we're to meet up at rendezvous point four!"

"Roger that!" Todoh declared, swooping down to help in rescuing their surviving troops, even as Zero alighted from the prow, the Tekkaman lashing out at any of the Chinese Knightmares that dared to approach, with a ferocity that actually drove them back before he even neared them.

'Not that I can blame him…' Todoh muttered, recalling the look on the Tekkaman's face as he'd stormed past him on the flight deck. The Zangetsu's float system had been disengaged for maintenance, meaning Todoh couldn't go to his comrades rescue, when Zero had arrived on deck, bursting out of the stairwell, having not had the patience to take the elevator.

'The look in his eyes…' the general recalled, suppressing a shudder that rose at the memory of the Tekkaman's face 'I don't think I've seen an expression like that on a man since Prime Minister Kururugi defied the Empire.'

"CRASH INTRUDE!" Zero snarled, wiping out another wave of troops that had been sneaking up from the rear, obliterating them in a fiery explosion as he soared into the sky, before coming down on the cowering stragglers like the wrath of heaven "UOOOOOH-!"

"Zero!" Todoh called out, the General hailing the Tekkaman, causing him to pull up short, allowing a few cavalrymen to escape with their lives "They're pulling back, call off pursuit and hang back to watch our six!"

"Understood." The Tekkaman acknowledged, his tone calm, a stark contrast to the anger he'd exhibited earlier. Todoh's plan was sound, and had a higher possibility of success than going straight for Kallen. For one thing, he doubted the redhead would appreciate being rescued if he allowed his comrades to die.

'Hang on Kallen…' he prayed, looking towards the distant shape of the Chinese Federation's pyramid fortress, which was following hotly on the Ikaruga's trail 'We'll get you back…I swear it!'


Mausoleum of the 88 Emperors, night...

"Recovery of all remaining Knightmares now confirmed!" Hinata declared, watching as Todoh's Zangetsu pulled into the mausoleum of the eighty-eight emperors, which had been the designated rendezvous point for the Ikaruga, much to Rakshata's interest.

"The enemy will think twice before attacking us here." Diethard insisted, his features grim as the Ikaruga backed into the mountain mausoleum "The greatest emperors from Chinese history are buried here."

"And since they can only approach us from head on, it means we can deploy the bow mounted Hadron Cannons." Ohgi reasoned, nodding in approval at the strategy that the Information Manager had whipped up with Todoh and Zero.

"So all we gotta do is wait for the Indian forces, right?" Tamaki reasoned, the volatile redhead disembarking from his personal Akatsuki, glad to be out of the mud at least, though he wasn't looking forward to hosing the mech down.

"I doubt they'll come." Chiba pointed out grimly, the female memeber of theFour Holy Swors recalling just WHO had seen fit to sell Xingke's new toy to the Federation, "Even if they do, who's willing to bet they'll be flying britannian colours?"

"Besieged with no Reinforcements…" Shougo muttered, the bespectacled member of the swords smirking up at the grinning Urabe as they walked up alongside their female comrade "Just like old times."

"If that's the case, there could still have been room for negotiations." Kaguya pointed out, the emerald eyed goddess of Victory looking up at Ohgi in concern, a nervous Tianzi clinging to her friends side like glue.

"Something tells me the high Eunuchs would never even consider that option." The Co-Commander muttered, grimacing at the sound of cannon-fire ahead.


Xingke's forces...

'What?' Xingke yelled, thelong-haired general looking over his shoulder in outrage as a mortar shell exploded dangerously close to the rear of his troops, his eyes narrowing as Xian Ho ordered him not to move.

"Did you REALLY think we would forgive you after you betrayed us?" the midget eunuch asked rhetorically, sneering over the intercom as their own, LOYAL troops swooped in on Xingke's forces, battering them from all sides.

"This is not the time for revenge!" Xianglin protested, Xingke's eyes narrowing at the sound of his aide's voice, as she was doubtless being given similar treatment "Or perhaps you don't care about the empress?"

"YOU'VE become obsolete." Xian Ho stated, the portly General looking at Xianglin, but SPEAKING to Xingke over the radio, his hands resting on his massive hips "We have more powerful forces to serve us now."

'They can't mean?' Xingke wondered, his eyes narrowing as he espied two familiar Knightmares hovering in the air behind the Pyramid fortress "You fools! Bringing the forces of a foreign empire into our territory? Aid from Britannia? From Avalon?"

He scowled at the floating transport behind the Tristan and Mordred, the same airship that was the Lancelot's mode of transportation "Don't the High Eunuch's know who they're dealing with? Who do they think conquered half of the EU?" his eyes narrowed, as he imagined the man in question looking on at the scene below, a smug smile on his charismatic features.


Bridge of the Ikaruga...

"I never thought the Knights of the Round would get involved with this." Ohgi muttered, cursing himself for not considering such an option. They were here for the wedding after all, it wouldn't do if they let the Black Knight's swipe the bride right from under their noses. For one thing, it'd be a blatant act of disrespect to Crown Prince Odysseus, not to mention 2nd Prince Schniezel, who'd arranged the entire affair.

"Well…" C.C noted, her usual deadpan expression underlined with a hint of intrigue as the Ikaruga brought the image of the Britannian forces on screen "It seems the High Eunuchs are intent on wiping out Xingke along with us." She nodded towards Diethard, who was monitoring the incoming data heatedly "I think it's time we got our little trick ready."

"You mean…" Diethard wondered, the former britannian and head of the Black Knights propaganda and information gathering gaping at her in alarm, only to nod, understanding dawning on his features as he rushed off to make the arrangements.


Meanwhile, thousands of miles away (lol, Dan Green)...

"Hello? Ashford Academy Student Council office?" Rolo asked, the Cherub faced teen having just returned from his 'doctor's appointment', in actuality, a patrol of the area to scour out any insurgents "Oh, Madam president!"

"I'm with Suzaku and the others." Milly revealed, the Ashford Heir's voice sounding relieved over the phone, as Suzaku had finally managed to patch her through to Ashford "What's the news saying there?"

"The TV and radios are just talking about Zero now." Rolo replied, turning to look at the screen even as Rivalz collapsed in a boneless heap, sighing in relief "Is it true that the Chinese Federation has Zero cornered?"

"Well…sort of." Milly muttered, her laced with some unknown emotion, Rolo's eyes frowning, wondering what on earth the woman could be hiding. He'd already been briefed on the Ashford Family, as they had been Lelouch and Nunnally's protectors while in Area Eleven. The reports claimed that she had no idea that her childhood friend had been the masked terrorist Zero, but you never knew with an Ashford, they protected their own, and Reuben Ashford had been Lelouch and Nunnally's godfather when the Empress had been alive.

'Perhaps I should keep a closer eye on miss Ashford when she returns…' the cherub faced Geass assassin muttered, his right eye lighting up briefly as he hung up, turning his attention to the television screen, where a Britannian newscaster was claiming his certainty that Zero was about to meet his demise overseas.

"She says she's alright, but she won't be able to buy us any souvenirs." He announced, smiling apologetically as he spoke "We should make an announcement, to calm everybody down…"


Ikaruga...

"OUR REINFORCEMENTS AREN'T COMING?" Tamaki yelled, the volatile redhead gaping up Ohgi's back in alarm at this newest bombshell that had landed in their laps, even as they continued to watch Xingke's forces getting reamed "WHAT THE F-!"

"Calm down Tamaki!" the co-commander barked, his own features grim as he watched the incoming enemy forces advance on the mausoleum "We still have the Chinese empress as a captive, they can't just shooting at us-!"

As if the universe lived to prove the co-commander wrong, the amassed Chinese forces promptly began a full-scale bombardment.


With Xingke...

"The high eunuchs…" Xingke growled, his eyes narrowing in anger as he watched the Mausoleum of Eighty-Eight emperors undergo bombing from aerial forces "They'd violate this sacred Mausoleum for their petty ambitions-!" he glared as he fired up his radio, hailing all allied forces "All forces cease fire!" he commanded, "Her Imperial Empress is inside!"

"You STILL don't understand, do you Xingke?" the Xiao Ho mocked, the fat eunuch's simpering voice drilling into the general's ears "Generations upon generations of emperors are buried there…"

"In short, it's a grave." The dark skinned Eunuch pointed out, Xingke's blood running cold as he took in the satisfied smirks adorning the Eunuch's faces "As good a place as any to bury our CURRENT empress."

"We've already arranged for a new empress to replace her." Xiao Ho admitted, smirking at the general's face, a bound and gagged Xianglin kneeling off to the side, scowling angry at them "A puppet bride that will nicely match prince Odysseus on their wedding photo."

"YOU DARE?" Xingke roared, the Shenhu lunging towards the Pyramid fortress, only to be blocked and forced back by the Tristan "Stand aside Britannian!" he fired a Harken to ward the variable frame off "This concerns MY country alone!"

"Be glad to," Gino replied over the radio, transforming the Tristan to jet mode "But you see, those guys represent your country…internationally speaking."

Xingke scowled, driving the Shenhu back before shifting back to Knightmare mode, pulling up alongside the Mordred "Besides…you captured the Gurren right? I happen to have some unfinished business with that Knightmare and its pilot."

Xingke grimaced, only to look up in surprise as the aerial assault crafts that had been sent in as part of the second wave were wiped out by Todoh and the three remaining Holy words, the Zangetsu wiping out countless numbers with it's shoulder mounted guns.


Knights of the Round POV...

"Well what d'you know…" Gino muttered, the blonde Knight of three eyeing the newly arrived black Knightmare warily as it wiped out their forces "looks like they brought in someone good besides the Gurren after all."

"Gino." Suzaku called out, the emerald eyed Knight of Seven launching from the Avalon, the newly restored Lancelot Conquista leading a flight of Vincents in it's wake as they swooped onto the battle field "Leave them to me!"

"Show off." Gino scoffed, only to smirk as he watched Anya wipe out Xingke's rebel forces with the Mordred's built in Missile launchers, the Dragon Cavalry's shells impacting harmlessly against the Assault Frame's shields. "Oh no you don't!" the Knight of three called out, grinning as he interfered with Xingke's attempts to slip inside the Mordred's shields, the two high-speed frames crashing in the air in a flurry of sparks "I'm leading the dance at this party!"


High Eunuch's command centre...

"So you admit you're outmatched?" Xiao Ho asked, the fat eunuch smirking up at the screen, which depicted a grim faced Zero, the revolutionary having initiated the call "Well we won't accept your surrender, it's too late now!"

'A shame really.' The sack-less ball of blubber noted, taking in the teen's ravishing features, as he was wearing his Zero uniform without the helmet, with a look of perverse approval on his blubbery face 'Oh the things we could demand from you…'

"So you insist on fighting?" the Tekkaman demanded, his mis-matched eyes narrowing at the disgusting ball of blubber before him in obvious distaste "Even knowing your own Empress will die in the attack?"

"The 'Empress' is merely a system." The pompous ball of blubber simpered, shaking his head dismissively at the Tekkaman's naïveté "There are plenty of others to replace her, so you can't use her as a bargaining chip."

"But YOU used her to gain noble titles for yourselves in the Britannian court." Zero pointed out coldly, earning a round of simpering chuckles from the eunuchs, even as Xianglin glared at them heatedly from the floor.

"You have sharp ears, don't you?" the dark skinned Eunuch noted, his eyes trailing along the Tekkaman's magnified jaw line from behind his wire-rimmed spectacles "A cheap price to pay for power, I assure you."

"Cheap…" Zero repeated, the Tekkaman's mismatched eyes flashing unnervingly on the screen, his lips athin line of displeasure on his handsome face "A false treaty that gives China's land to a foreign nation?"

"Oh please…" Xiao ho simpered, the blubbery waste of space waving a hand in front of his face dismissively, as if he'd smelled something fouler than his own breath "Land is just DIRT after all, isn't it?"

"Yes." The dark skinned Eunuch agreed, smiling smugly up at this pretentious teen, his painted lips sticking out proudly, as if it made him look imporatant, it didn't "We're Britannian Noblemen now, that's what counts."

"And what about the lives of the common people you've sworn to protect?" the Tekkaman demanded, his features hardening with emotion, making him look absolutely feral, something Xianglin felt suited him rather well.

"Oh come now Zero…" Xiao Ho simpered, a cruel smirk adorning the eunuch's blubbery features as his eyes danced maliciously "When you walk down the street, do you worry about stepping on the ants?"

"You throw away the paper you use to clean your bottom don't you?" the diminutive midget piped up, an equally disgusting smirk adorning his withered features as he cackled "It's the same thing really."

Xianglin scowled, wishing she could reach the knife hidden in her shoes only to blink, looking up in shock at the growing look of anger in the Tekkaman's eyes. "You bastards…" Zero growled, his eyes flashing red and a dangerous purple "You'd sell out your country…abandon your Empress…betray your own people…and for what?

"Hah! An idealist?" Xiao Ho simpered, smiling ruefully up at the scowling features before him, wishing he had a fan, as it seemed to be getting a little close in here "I never would have pegged you for one Zero…"

"Indeed." The dark skinned Eunuch simpered, covering his lips with his sleeve, as if he believed it made him look like an elegant court lady. Once again, it fell FAR short "After all, Masters and commoners will always breed."

"Like insects!" the midget cackled, the other two joining him as the bombardment of the mausoleum continued.


Ikaruga...

"Stop it!" Tianzi called out, the distressed Chinese empress tearing herself from Kaguya's embrace, despite her friend's protests, and racing out of the room they'd hidden in, having had enough of the fighting going on around her.

When the first shells had bombarded the Ikaruga, she'd let herself be led away, and since then had cowered in the room, taking comfort in the embrace of her dear friend, whilst feeling absolutely helpless.

'This is all my fault!' the Empress reasoned, holding her skirts as she raced through the halls, making her way to the stairs that would lead her to the upper deck of the Ikaruga 'This all happened because I wanted to go outside…now Xingke and the others are getting hurt because of me!'

Shoving past the guards on duty, the empress clambered onto the main deck, heedless of the constant stream of gunfire as she ran to the prow "Please stop it!" she called out, desperately trying to make her voice reach the combatants "You have to stop all this fighting!"

A round impacting against the deck was her reply, the empress crying out as she was knocked off her feet by the explosion.

"Your Majesty!" Xingke called out, the pilot of the Shenhu racing in, only to curse as the Tristan's Harken knocked out one of his Wings "Dammit!" he swore, his eyes wide in desperation as he powered the damaged frame downwards, even as the High Eunuchs gave the order to finish his lady off "Shenhu! My life is yours!" he pleaded, pushing the frame for all it was worth "Take it if you must, but please save the empress!"

As if hearing it's pilot's plea, the Gurren's sibling frame charged downwards, coming in or a graceful landing as it deployed it's slash harkens as propellers to deflect the oncoming assault from the fragile girl before it.

"Guh!" Xingke grunted, the cockpit of his Knightmare sparking as several rounds made it past his defensive wall "Run away your majesty!" he implored over the speakers, looking down at the stunned empress as she got to her knees "Go now! You've finally made it outside of the city, but you haven't seen any of the world yet!" he grimaced as another assault crashed into his back "Go now! I will defend you here!"

"But I can't!" Tianzi insisted, tears streaming down the empress' cheeks as she gazed up at her protector and friend "Without out you there's no point! It has to be the two of us together! It has to!"

"Your words are wasted on me your majesty…" the general smiled, his heart going out to the young girl that, over six years ago, he had made a promise with, only to grimace as the assault on the Shenhu intensified "Someone…" he pleaded "I don't care who it is…but please…" he bowed his head as the right arm of Shenhu was damaged, the frame leaning forward from the impact "SOMEONE SAVE HER!"

"VOLTTEKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!"

Violet energy burst out from the heavens, intercepting the majority of the barrage and carrying on into the sky, narrowly missing the Avalon as it wiped out everything in it's path.

Xingke blinked, looking back over his shoulder, his eyes wide with disbelief at the sight of Zero, the Tekkaman hovering before the Ikaruga, the Tekkaman's shoulder panels open as it unleashed a hail of death on the enemy forces.

"Zero?"


Sackless-shack...

"Zero?" Xiao Ho stammered, the Eunuch's features wide as he gaped at the Tekkaman on the monitor, before turning back to stare at the Zero that was smirking back at him on the view screen, looking for all the world like the cat that got itself the fat, overweight canary "But how did you-?"

"Are you surprised?" the Tekkaman asked, reaching up to his face, the Eunuch's looking on in shock as he removed it, revealing a smiling woman of Japanese ancestry "How very fortunate, I was worried I might not be able to portray Zero-sama as well as I'd hoped."

"A stand in?" the midget exclaimed, gaping at the woman in disbelief. And with good reason; even the Empress' fakes couldn't mimic the girl that well, the woman had even altered her voice to match the Tekkaman's!

"Zero-sama has instructed me to ask both you of the Federation and Britannian forces the following question." The woman relayed, offering a polite bow, though her eyes betrayed her mocking derision "Are you prepared to continue fighting…regardless of the consequences?"

"Why are you stopping?" Xiao ho demanded, the sack of lard slamming his pudgy fist into the command table with a snarl "WIPE THEM OUT!"


Ikaruga's prow...

"So be it…" Zero muttered, his eyes glowing ominously as a platform appeared in the deck of the Ikaruga, a new, sinister looking Knightmare, with an identical color scheme as the Tekkaman rising up, it's eyes glowing an equally ominous red as it spread it's arms wide "C.C…"

"On it." The immortal witch assured him, her voice smug, even as the Chinese Federation renewed their assault, several hexagonal plates of energy appearing between the Knightmare and the oncoming assault, blocking them from harming the Shenhu and the empress any further "Leave the defense to me."


Cue star wars theme!

And we'll leave off there.

For those wondering, yes, that was a lil'kuriboh tribute.

R&R!