Before and Ever After

by ShadowBlah2

Lelouch was given a second chance and defeated Britannia, but Bearers of Code still lurked, and his successor to the mask of Zero could not stop them alone. Now Lelouch must again rally friends and former foes alike to his banner for the sake of the world. R3 awaits...

36. The Kings Cometh 31: Storms

The Kings Cometh 31: Storms

While Lelouch and Schneizel conducted their campaigns in the north with razor precision, slowly picking their enemies apart and surrounding them, one town and base at a time, to the south Cornelia was equal parts spear and sledgehammer, blasting through oppressive rainforests and crushing resistance with the full weight of the Britannian and Australian armies behind her. Her strategy, quite the opposite to her brothers, relied on a single, ongoing, and devastating thrust into Chinese Federation territory, her superior main force seeking out the nearest, strongest enemy presence and annihilating it before moving on to the next one, field armies splitting off in her wake to clean out any remaining enemies too weak for her to bother with.

Despite some setbacks, including a disastrous attack on the city of Kendari in the opening stages of the invasion of Sulawesi, where Knight of Twelve Monica Kruszewski was still fighting to pacify the island, Cornelia was still largely unmatched south of the equator, and upon taking control of the Java Sea and all of East, Central, South, and West Kalimantan, she stopped her offensive to consolidate her position. Just one island over was Sumatra, and early reports from the Australian naval fleet patrolling nearby indicated it was a center of Chinese Federation military buildup, suggesting they were preparing for a counteroffensive.

The site Cornelia had chosen as her temporary headquarters was barely ten miles inland from the South China Sea, a largish city built surrounding a thick river flowing through its center. It had been relatively well-fortified and defended by the Chinese Federation prior to her coming, but following a massive bombardment from ships off the coast and a subsequent aerial knightmare assault, had fallen into the Witch of Britannia's hands quite easily, thankfully sparing the majority of the settlement and its population from the same destruction as other towns and bases across the island.

The first thing Cornelia did after declaring her direct occupation of the city was to section it off, devoting each subdivision to a different part of her army to guard and reside in until she gave the order to move out. Her Australian allies were stationed at key points in a perimeter around the most valuable areas of the city while her various generals were assigned closer to the city center and her. Her command center was established with a standard G1 Base, dropped in a grassy clearing by a commercial district between a fork in the river, and her closest Britannian troops aside from her Royal Guard set up nearby along each side of the riverbanks.

Those Chinese Federation soldiers who hadn't managed to flee north during Cornelia's attack were disarmed and shipped away to work camps as POWs, and their equipment, along with every other scrap of war material the Britannians could find, was quickly turned to their cause, adding rations, munitions, and spare energy fillers to their coffers. The best discovery was that many of the surface-to-air turrets set up in preparation for the Britannian assault were still in working order, their crews largely fleeing once the coast was lost and their forward positions were overrun, and Cornelia took grim satisfaction in having the guns re-armed and repurposed for her army's use.

It was a few days after the attack and the subsequent takeover, bright in the morning but threatening for a heavy storm that night, that the Goddess of Victory, the near-unstoppable Cornelia li Britannia, held a strategy meeting with her officers. It wasn't the first since setting up in their new stronghold, but the previous talks had been but a prelude, with this one being a finalization on everything that was soon to come.

Cornelia sat in her command throne aboard her G1 with Guilford standing at attention beside her, every officer to hand over the rank of colonel crammed inside to be given her new plan in person. Nonnette Enneagram, the Knight of Nine, was noticeably absent, having been assigned an army and ordered to march north from East Kalimantan, but in her place were several lesser knights and generals, including Cornelia's go-to liason for the Reformed Australian Army, their first ever Grand Marshal, a reliable old fellow with a cynical wit. Also present, but sitting apart from the main group was the grim Knight of One, Suzaku Kururugi, Euphemia at his side wearing a professional but untroubled look on her face.

Cornelia was still angry that her sister had forced her way into joining the war effort, and was even more displeased when she insisted on leaving the safety of her Logres-class flagship, 'Beaming Sunlight,' to join her for every little thing. She blamed Suzaku more than anything. The Pink Princess wasn't suited for war, yet he continually encouraged her to do more and get more involved. It made Cornelia seethe that her sister might be put in unnecessary danger, but always would her varied complaints eventually lead back to the same subject.

Geass.

Kururugi's eyepatch was a constant reminder of his power, a power he claimed could not be used to control her or anyone else. Cornelia still wasn't sure she believed him. Even after Lelouch confirmed that she wasn't being manipulated, she still had her doubts. She couldn't help but continue hating such power, almost as a matter of principle. The arcane could not be quantified in her mind like a tank or a bomb, and for that matter had no business existing in the first place. She constantly felt on edge around Suzaku, and worse, she knew that her own sister Euphemia held the same power as him.

She saw it sometimes, when Euphie didn't think Cornelia was watching. She'd see the shine of pink fire in her eye as it lit up, making anyone looking into her betwitching gaze relax and smile, even when it was a wounded soldier in dire pain and in his last moments of life. Such an unnatural sight was a horror to Cornelia, and each time it would remind her of that moment in Lelouch's office, the day he offered her the same unholy gift.

Lelouch removed his right glove, revealing the bright slashes of red on his palm. He held it out to his sister. She hesitated, for only a moment, then removed her own glove to slowly reach her bare hand over, touching her pointer finger to her brother's.

As soon as their skin met, Cornelia found herself in an endless expanse of white, naked and alone with only Jupiter hanging overhead.

"Cornelia." Lelouch's voice came from every direction at once, echoing and penetrating her to her very core, though the man himself was nowhere to be seen. "If I grant you power, would you begin to trust me? I propose a deal. In exchange for this power you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this Contract and you accept its conditions: While living in the world of humans you will live unlike any other; a different providence, a different time, a different life. The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"

Was she prepared? Cornelia honestly had to think. Visions were beginning to come to her, assaulting her mind. She saw gears turning and colliding with one another. She saw the inner depths of her own mind, down to the very synapses firing and the charge flowing through a network of neurons. She was surrounded by whispers, ancient and unknown, and always the symbol of a bird in flight, red and burning, was present at the edges of her senses.

Cornelia shut her eyes tight, trying to make the visions stop, then gave her answer.

"NO!"

When Cornelia opened her eyes again she was back in Lelouch's office, gasping for breath, her hand pulled back as if escaping an open flame, and her younger brother staring at her questioningly.

"What's wrong?" he wondered, with only the slightest hint of actual concern in his tone.

"I can't..." Cornelia shook her head. "I just can't. I'm not like you, or Clovis. Or Euphie. I can't accept that unnatural power. I can't stand the thought of being shackled to someone else's wish."

Lelouch's gaze softened, and he took back his own hand, still extended and Code on his palm still shining bright, replacing it in his glove.

"You misunderstand, Sister. Geass is only the first step. It is a pathway to many abilities some would consider to be unnatural." He paused to gauge Cornelia's reaction, and when she stayed silent he continued with a sigh. "Regardless, I'll respect your wishes. I won't force you to accept a Contract if it isn't what you want. Just keep in mind that power doesn't always have to be used for evil. The purpose of Geass has always been to bring suffering, both to its victims and even its users, but I'm changing that, and so is everyone else. My offer will always stand open to you."

While she remembered the past, Cornelia's men around the command center busied themselves sharing gossip, and as she returned to the moment she overheard a few of the conversations.

There was talk of the campaign in the north and their most recent battle, in which Kallen, both in anger and impatience, charged ahead of the rest of Schneizel's army and personally assaulted the enemy stronghold, killing every foe that got in her way. Some officers were discussing the gains made by Grand Marshal Andreas Darlton in Africa, while still others had more personal subjects.

The topic that seemed to be on everyone's mind though was the terrible losses and sacrifices on the European Front. The story so far was that Britain had been forced to fend off several air raids in Norfolk, the attacking EU forces testing to see if a beachhead could eventually be made there. Along with that, thousands had died in a failed defense of the French southeast, including Britannia's Knight of Eleven, Roland Grenier, following a surprise invasion by Italian EU troops coming around the Alps. Odysseus eu Britannia was credited with salvaging the situation though, as he personally led the retreat, and if not for him and his Royal Guard turning at the last second to face the pursuing enemy, no one may have escaped from that battle alive. Already he was being showered with praise, no matter his bemused embarrassment, and supposedly he was even due to be awarded a medal in Paris for bravery, his statements that it was all a big misunderstanding going quite unheard.

All this was already known to Cornelia though, and she regarded the idle chatter with disdain, standing from her throne and throwing out a hand to gain her men's attention.

"Gentlemen!" she declared proudly, her powerful voice booming over the whispers and small beeps from the command center's radar station. "As you know, we are behind schedule. Despite our progress so far, I intended to have covered much more ground by now."

In reply there was a hushed snicker from someone in the crowd and a comment about her unrealistic goals. What the princess had originally intended was to have made it fully into the Indian Ocean by the start of March, and with their current rate of progress that was a distinct impossibility.

Cornelia cast a death glare upon the assembled officers below her, searching for the offender who dared mock her refined sense for war. She was met with obedient silence. It seemed everyone still knew who was in charge. She continued her original point right where she left off.

"This is unacceptable. We have a deadline. We absolutely must make a beachhead on the continent-" Cornelia pointed to the viewscreen on the far side of the room, directing her men's attention to it as it lit up with a strategic map, highlighting the coast of Asia from East India to China, "-before the seasonal storms start in earnest. If we can do that, we'll deny the enemy a whole season of digging in while we twiddle our thumbs and stay out of the rain. We'll also be able to cut off some of the flow of reinforcements that's standing in Darlton's way, allowing him to link up with us that much easier and bolster our offensive.

"Above all though, our forces are to provide a strategic distraction, diverting troops away from the eastern front and allowing Lelouch and Schneizel to more easily approach Beijing, and hopefully bring an immediate end to this war. If we can somehow get back on schedule, then we'll join their fight in the enemy capital before the year's end. And for that, we'll have to redouble our efforts.

"Before we can do that however, we'll need to secure our immediate surroundings." The map on the screen zoomed in on Malaysia. "I received reports early this morning that indicate the Federation has a substantial naval base on the islands of Riau to our immediate north. It's close, it's fortified, and is an ideal staging ground for leapfrogging to anywhere they might choose in the surrounding three seas. Due to our blockade protecting our western flank, we'll be able to see counteroffensives coming from Sumatra and beyond well in advance, and that makes Riau the most dangerous enemy position by default."

The officers around the room talked amongst themselves lightly, conjecturing how to approach this new problem. Some of the Britannians suggested moving in a navy fleet and attempting to make an amphibious landing with air cavalry support. Some less confident Australians recommended loosing a missile salvo all along the little patch of land's coast and leaving it at that.

Suzaku spoke over the chatter, raising his voice and showing no softness in his tone.

"I'll go." Everyone quieted down and turned to stare at the Knight of One, standing and looking up to face Cornelia at the top of her command throne. "I volunteer to lead the attack as soon as possible. I'll only need four battlegroups of KMFs and accompanying air carriers."

"Suzaku," Euphemia started uncertainly, standing and touching a hand against his shoulder, to Cornelia's well-hidden irritation, "are you sure that'll be enough?"

His serious expression split into a smile and he nodded.

"Of course, Princess. I can lead the charge." If he hadn't been wearing the eyepatch he would have winked his left eye. "Once we smash everything we can call in more reinforcements to secure the area and take care of prisoners and the wounded."

Cornelia scowled.

"You make it sound so easy, Sir Kururugi."

"My apologies, Your Highness," he replied quickly, reassuming a more professional tone and posture. "It won't be an easy battle, you're right. But I will win it."

Against his better judgement Guilford interjected.

"While I don't doubt your prowess, Sir Kururugi, I do question your boldness. You should wait for Her Majesty's judgement on what forces will be sent."

"I meant no disrespect, Sir Guilford." Suzaku answered without a hint of hesitation in his voice, and beside him Euphemia furrowed her brow, sensing the unspoken hostilities growing. "However, as you know, I am the Knight of One, and answer only to the Emperor, so I don't need the Grand Marshal's permission to conduct my own operations."

As soon as Suzaku finished, the air in the command center seemed to grow chill despite the heat outside. He may not have intended to show disrespect, but he'd still questioned Cornelia's authority, and her reputation for not tolerating dissent was well-known. The Witch of Britannia had a long list of public hangings to her name, for insubordination, for misconduct, for incompetance, and more, and anyone who even considered opposing her will would usually decide against it after remembering how many had been executed for doing just that.

Everyone instinctively took a step back, not wanting to be associated with the Knight of One now that he'd earned Cornelia's ire. There was only silence as the warrior princess glared down at Suzaku, and he stared back up, a glimmer in his one visible eye, telling of his sincerity. He knew that he was the best person to assault Riau, and he wasn't about to back down and let Cornelia send someone else instead.

Guilford was about to protest at the perceived insult but was stopped by Cornelia, not shifting her gaze from Suzaku as she lifted a hand for peace.

"Very well, Sir Kururugi," she said with the utmost calm, as if nothing were wrong whatsoever, her eyes belying her true thoughts on the matter. "Do as you will. It'll be one less problem for me to deal with personally."

LLLLLLLLLLLL

As dawn breached the horizon over Fort Shishio Lelouch made his declaration, that every piece was accounted for and every task at hand had been cleared, and now the forces rallied under his banner would march on Tokyo and finally reclaim Japan for the USJ. All around the practically city-sized base was the shouting of orders and the thump of boots, and the whine of servos and turbines as knightmares were fueled and loaded onto airships to prepare for the deadly plunge into the heart of Chinese Federation occupied Japan. Everyone was getting ready for the biggest battle yet - everyone except the Black Knights.

Orders hadn't come down from the top, and without them the rest of the Knights took their time preparing, wondering if Tohdoh, their de facto leader, was going to join the march to retake the birthplace of their Order. It seemed silly to even suggest he wouldn't commit the Knights to the Reclamation, as Lelouch was calling it, but since the Dropsite Massacre nothing seemed to be adding up anymore, and what used to be was thrown into question: The Black Knights weren't the ones leading the charge for justice anymore, that role instead belonging to their former enemy in Britannia. And rather than growing in strength while the Empire crumbled, the once vast army of Zero was down to its last hundred KMFs and was disintegrating rapidly, while Lelouch revealed new depths to his stockpile of tricks and technology every day.

While the rush to get armed and ready was going on outside, inside the Tsugumi's briefing room on the airfield reserved for the Black Knights, the major commanders of the former revolutionary army met to discuss a worrying development. Tohdoh was there, along with Leftenant Generals Chiba and Urabe, Knightsman Commandant Tamaki, Minami, Captain Sugiyama, and even Rakshata. Ohgi and Villetta sat with them as well, and together they almost felt like their old group was still in one piece, though it was hard to ignore the sad lack of Xingke, on the other side of this conflict to everyone's great distress, and even more obviously, the complete disappearance of Zero.

"He's coming back!" Tamaki banged a fist on the meeting table. "Zero's fine and he's coming back! He always comes back! He always pulls through for us!"

Nobody else had much to say in response, the overall feeling aboard the carrier being one of loss, the same loss and purposelessness that had gripped the Black Knights each and every time they weren't being guided by their masked leader. Nevertheless, Minami frowned and stood up, propping both arms on the table opposite Tamaki and shouted back.

"Can you just give it a rest, Tamaki!? We haven't heard back from any of the raiding party Zero took out last night. None of their knightmares are registering and we haven't got any radio calls for help either."

"So what!? That doesn't mean anything!"

"Tamaki! They're dead! They're all dead!"

Tamaki snarled and lashed a fist through the empty air in response, letting out his frustrations, and stomped away from the others sitting around the meeting table, beginning to pace as he struggled to fight the undeniable truth.

"No way," he snapped, shaking his head. "There's just no way! Zero's still alright. He's still out there somewhere, just like he was before, doin' some kinda secret spy shit, or something! He's gotta be! I mean, he's goddamn Zero! He can't just die! Not like this! He'd only go down at the end, in a huge blaze of glory like the first Zero, not in the middle of a stupid little raid! I mean, he's goddamn ZERO!"

"Tamaki, calm down," Sugiyama advised, throwing up both hands in front of him, trying to ease his old friend's fury. "Zero's dead. We all have to get over that fact and just keep going! It's what he would want."

To this, Tamaki growled again, Sugiyama's words falling on deaf ears. Nevertheless, a tremble had started in the angry redhead's tone, and he looked around vacantly, not talking to anyone in particular.

"I won't believe it! Zero had everything figured out! He said the enemy base was weak! He said everything was under control! He said...!"

"Knightsman Commandant," Chiba attempted, her brows knitted and her voice uncharacteristically soothing, "believe me, we share your feelings. Nobody wants to believe Zero could be dead, but we have to accept it. He was larger than life, but in the end he was still human, just like any of us. None of the raiding party has checked in, and neither has Zero. It's like Minami said. The only thing that could've happened is they died in battle, otherwise we would've heard something from them by now."

The faces of the men and women in the meeting room were a combination of stoic and dejected as Tamaki desperately attempted to convince them Zero was alive, and, it was becoming more obvious every second, convince himself as well. The only exception was Rakshata, who was puffing on her pipe and looking at the ceiling pensively.

"It is quite a coincidence though, isn't it?" she said suddenly. "That Zero would return to us then die so soon afterward?"

Sugiyama turned in his seat to face the genius woman, a sour look overtaking his face.

"Just what are you trying to say?"

"Oh, nothing." Rakshata shrugged, then laughed, the familiar whinneying sound filling the whole room. "I was only suggesting that it seemed a bit convenient. That's all."

"Why you...!" Tamaki's anger was returning, and he shot a hateful glare at Rakshata for the perceived slight against his best buddy. Meanwhile, Minami had put a hand to his chin and narrowed his eyes as he mulled an idea over in his head.

"It certainly does seem convenient," he muttered. "Normally I could accept that it was just a coincidence, but I've learned with Zero there's no such thing."

Tamaki rounded on the quartermaster general next, fire in his eyes.

"Whadda you think happened, then, huh!? Zero came back and got our hopes up just so he could ditch us and join the Feds instead!?"

"I doubt that. They wouldn't take him in after what he did to the Forbidden City."

"THAT NEVER HAPPENED!"

In shock at Tamaki's scream of disapproval, everyone turned fully to face him. Outrage was taking him - outrage at the lack of trust everyone seemed to have in Zero, and outrage, also, at the dismal state of their Order. The Black Knights were imploding without Zero to guide them and everyone knew it, and this recurring accusation of Zero comitting treachery was enough to boil over all Tamaki's unspent feelings that had been accumulating within him for months. He was breathing heavy, his shoulders rising and falling in time with the swell of his chest and his lungs pulling in air in huge bursts to fuel the adrenaline and violence coursing through his system.

Underneath it all, everyone was feeling the same as him. They were frustrated, swept up in a war that didn't seem to have a point, and now had lost their leader all over again. Tamaki was just the only one unprofessional enough to be honest about what was going on.

"Everyone fucking KNOWS Zero was with us getting MASSACRED right when the Forbidden City was being 'attacked'. It's a lie! It was always a fuckin' lie and it's because of that lie we're in the middle of a fuckin' war right now! This whole fuckin' war is a fucking LIE!"

There was only dead silence as a reply to Tamaki's rant. His words rang true, no matter what the other officers might have personally believed Zero did or didn't do. He'd always been considered the fool of the Black Knights. He got shot down at the start of every battle then went on to act like he was the hero of the hour. He was brash and coarse, and his presence was more tolerated than accepted by his comrades. Even his rank as a Knightsman Commandant was a joke, a position made up on the spot that held no real weight.

And yet, in the end, Tamaki was the only one to speak plainly when everyone else was content to be caught in a web of excuses and justifications. Only he could see clearly, unhindered by politics and wooden language.

The moment passed as no one dared speak, until finally Tohdoh, arms crossed and eyes closed beneath a hardened expression, gave his verdict.

"Whatever the case, whether Zero is truly lost forever or not, we must continue to face these battles ahead of us with honour."

From the other side of the meeting room table Ohgi nodded vigourously to the general.

"I agree with Tohdoh. It simply can't be helped. Our only option is to just keep fighting until Japan is free. Whatever happens after that..." He paused to consider the future then looked down, continuing resolutely. "We'll have to deal with whatever happens when it comes."

"For now," Villetta added, "I recommend not saying anything about Zero to anyone else. As far as anyone else should know, Zero's still alive and is working behind enemy lines."

There was a small murmur of agreement from around the room, even Chiba nodding along, that simple act of agreeing with a Britannian quite unusual for her.

Urabe stood up.

"Agreed. It would only strain the war effort if people found out the state of our army. There's no sense in starting a panic by telling others that Zero is gone."

"Then it's decided," Tohdoh declared with finality. "From now on, talk of Zero doesn't leave this room. We'll go on as we have been. Britannia is fighting with everything they have, and the Black Knights will not cower away from our duty to the United States of Japan."

The mention of Japan again was enough to relieve the tension in the room as everyone's mind snapped from their negative thoughts to their country's occupation, and the impending battle for its liberation. Until Tokyo was theirs once more, nothing else mattered.

"I'm with you," Ohgi grinned. "Villetta?"

Beside him, Villetta, once a member of Britannia's Pureblood faction and now wife to the Japanese Prime Minister, nodded once, short and serious, and was about to give a word of affirmation until she was interrupted.

"No." Everyone glanced in Urabe's direction, the officer back in his seat and a disheartened frown on his face. "Ohgi, you're a politician now. There's no room on the battlefield for you. If we were to lose you or Villetta now that Zero's gone - whatever his fate - there's no telling what could happen."

Ohgi sat back in his seat as he realized the truth in the veteran's words, but he quickly recovered and narrowed his eyes, showing his resolve.

"Even so, I won't just stand by and let you fight for Japan alone. They're my people as much as yours and I'm responsible for them. More responsible, even!" He opened his arms wide as he spoke, as if to show the immensity of his commitment to the people. "I'm their first democratically elected leader since Genbu Kururugi. I have a duty to fight for them!"

Urabe was unconvinced. Then Villetta spoke up.

"We'll be alright."

This seemed to be enough to sway Urabe's opinion, as well as everyone else's too. Coming straight from a military background, Villetta's word always had counted for more than Ohgi's, even at the inception of the Black Knights when Zero first introduced her to Naoto and his friends.

"Very well," Tohdoh said, standing to conclude the meeting. "Ohgi, Villetta, you're free to join us in battle. Now, everyone, ready yourselves for war. We march with Emperor Lelouch as soon as he gives the command. Long live the Black Knights."

The others stood too and repeated as one:

"Long live the Black Knights."

LLLLLLLLLLLL

Noon was fast approaching as Villetta wandered about Shishio, observing disinterestedly as the veritable legions of Britannian troops around the base finished the last of their preparations for the battles soon to come. Back on Airfield 6 the Black Knights were already fully armed and organized and ready to go since they had much fewer assets to mobilize, and sensing her last chance for a moment to herself she'd stepped out for a walk. She didn't know where she was going at first, simply letting her legs take her where they would, but before long she found she'd arrived outside Shishio's central command center, the grey walls of that fortress looming high over the endless staging ground below and Emperor Lelouch's personal soldiers.

There were plenty of redcoats around, assembled in ordered formations outside Caerlon cruisers, heavy transport coptors, and armoured vehicles, awaiting orders, or else hefting crates of war supplies to the even larger Logres carriers and G1 bases dotting the command center's staging ground like oblong buildings, contrasting the city-base behind them. Far fewer to be seen were the imposing Gendarmes, most of the OSI's newly founded military branch apparently already onboard their transports. Villetta did manage to spot a squad of them though, the modern equivilent to the medieval man at arms, seven feet tall underneath their heavy plated armour and slinging girthy assault rifles over their shoulders, marching behind the - comically small in comparison - OSI Agent Sayoko Shinozaki.

Most of the knightmares had already been loaded onto their carriers, but flights of purple escort Vincent Wards and Terriers stood powered on outside each of them, watching over the general mayhem of the day with rifles and lances in hand.

As she continued her stroll, keeping a close watch to stay out of everyone's way, and especially stay off the airstrips, out of the corner of her eye Villetta happened to see someone coming out of the command center. He was dressed in white, with a cape of red hanging over his shoulders, and he was quickly followed by dozens of others, both men and women dressed in red and black. Their bearing was the same and they walked in lockstep, and for a brief moment Villetta thought she had crossed her eyes and was seeing double.

Not being with the Britannian army directly anymore, she had no knowledge of these dangerous looking knightmare pilots - not their names, what their function in the army, and not why they all had dyed red hair - but she did recognize their leader. Naoto Stadtfeld, the Knight of Five and former Deputy Commander of the Black Knights. Oh yes, Villetta knew that son of Britannian nobility well.

Once upon a time when she'd been an officer with the Purebloods, Jeremiah had put her in charge of Naoto's incarceration and interrogation, and when he managed to break out with the help of a then-unknown Zero, she'd taken the fall for it. She'd lost everything - her job, her friendships, her reputation, and after months of being unemployed and unhirable, her savings too. Villetta had been at the end of her rope, and it was only after demeaning herself with a job at Pizza Hut that Jeremiah reached out to her with an offer. He said that he was in contact with a powerful member of the Royal Family and arranged a meeting for her, and she jumped at the opportunity.

But when the time came, rather than a dashing prince or an elegant princess to grant Villetta some small boon, the person who arrived to meet with her was none other than the one to ruin her life in the first place: Zero. He said that he was gathering a mighty host of freedom fighters and idealistic defectors, and intended to wage war on Britannia. He said Villetta should not have been so severely punished for a failure she had no way of preventing, and declared that Britannia had abandoned her. He offered her a place within his organization, and after only a moment to consider, between living the rest of her life in destitution and smelling like pizza, or fighting her own countrymen but getting a chance to start over, she agreed to join Zero.

The Black Knights had already been formed when Villetta joined them, but still had yet to be unveiled to the public, and their command structure was still at its most basic levels. Dressed in her new uniform and feeling quite uncomfortable, but still somewhat elated after quitting her job earlier that day, Villetta wandered into the Shinjuku Ghetto, following instructions from Zero and finding his hideout, and coming face to face with Naoto Stadtfeld once again.

As soon as she realized just who she was looking at, Villetta was sure the redhead would simply kill her, recognizing her as well, the one to imprison and torture him a scant few months prior. However, Naoto only let a cocky grin onto his face before welcoming her to the Black Knights. Maybe that was the moment she felt her heart begin to shift.

Months passed and the Black Knights revealed themselves to the world. Zero became a household name after that, and as the days went by, new members filtered into their ranks ever more quickly, becoming the unstoppable juggernaut Zero always promised they would be, with Naoto as his Deputy Commander. Though she wasn't officially an officer herself, Villetta unofficially became a member of the Black Knights senior leadership due to her previous experience in the Britannian army, and during that time she was always in close proximity to the fiery redhead who looked to the future almost as a mirror of Zero himself. She wasn't sure what she expected him to be - crass like Tamaki? Blunt like Minami? - but as she spent more time around him, Villetta came to know Naoto, quickly learning why he'd had success as a terrorist even before Zero appeared.

Naoto wore his personality on his sleeve, proving himself to be a cheerful and gregarious leader in public, while equally content to be left alone entirely, but always was there a terrifying rage within him, waiting to expode out from underneath an exceptionally short temper. He was intelligent and cultured, but never as brilliant as Zero. He was strong, and was a fearless warrior, but was still never as capable with a knightmare as his sister. He was handsome and spoke kindly to Villetta despite their past, and for a time she really thought she might be falling for him.

But Naoto was never interested in her. He was only ever concerned about the wellbeing of the Black Knights and the revolution they were slowly spreading across the world. He had no time for relationships, the thought of one never even crossing his mind. And when Villetta hinted that she might be interested in one, he only nodded, then introduced her to his buddy Ohgi.

Thinking back to that time, now years later in the cool, coastal breeze of Fort Shishio, Villetta couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Falling in love with Ohgi, an Eleven, and even going on to marry him would have been unthinkable back then, but that's just what happened, and Naoto had been the one to make that all happen.

Villetta continued on her walk, noting she should go back to the Tsugumi soon, when she came across another sight of interest. It was Jeremiah, her old friend, now Knight of Orange to the Emperor himself, standing in front of the Avalon before his personal KMF, the Bors, his fist raised high as he gave a rousing speech to a hundred ranks of soldiers dressed in the fine black uniforms of the Britannian Imperial Guard. He was shouting and sweeping his arms around, ruffling his metallic orange cape behind him as he bellowed empassioned encouragements to his men, and Villetta stopped to watch in fascination.

"When you see your enemy," he continued, loud enough for Villetta to hear even over the thrum of hundreds of KMFs and other vehicles around the the airfield, "you will be His Majesty's iron fist of judgement! You are his finest warriors, forged in the furnace of war and armed with the tactics, strategies, and knightmares so that no foe can defeat you in battle! You are Lelouch's bulwark against terror! You are the defenders of his kingdom! You are the Emperor's Imperial Guard, and you shall know no fear!"

As Jeremiah's speech came to its conclusion, the Imperial Guard raised their fists as one and shouted back.

"All hail Britannia!"

"All hail Britannia," Jeremiah repeated. "All hail Lelouch!"

"All hail Lelouch!"

Villetta watched in silence, feeling a wash of nostalgia hit her as the soldiers chanted their warcry. She hadn't said those same words in a long time, not since before she married Ohgi and stayed in Japan with him, not since before she hesitantly walked into the Black Knights' hidden base in Shinjuku for the first time, and not since before her life fell apart only to be rebuilt as a rebel. The scene before her was so familiar, the fists in the air and the growing cheer of patriotism, and for the first time in her life Villetta felt like she'd lost something by abandoning Britannia.

While the Imperial Guard were still howling their devotion to their king, Villetta raised her own fist and joined in, quietly at first, then letting the words grow in her chest until she was shouting as loud as any of them.

"All hail Britannia!"

It was a marvelous feeling. It felt to her like she was a part of something again, not just a hanger-on, a former Black Knight but now only the wife of the Japanese Prime Minister, nothing more. She cheered with the Imperial Guard, and with each round of noise she felt more focussed and ready to fight the Chinese Federation that had conquered her adopted home. And so she cheered, until her lungs were spent and Lelouch's elite retinue filed away to board their assigned carriers.

Without realizing it though, Villetta had caught some attention with her enthusiasm, and before she could scurry back to Airfield 6 she saw Jeremiah approaching her curiously.

"Villetta!" He waved to her and grinned when he saw he'd gotten her attention. "It's been awhile. I knew you were back with the Black Knights, but I haven't been able to get over and say hello."

Villetta smiled back as her friend stopped before her, gloved hands on his hips and cape flowing behind him in the breeze.

"It's alright, Lord Jeremiah," she replied from behind a hand stifling a laugh at how much he looked like a superhero. "I haven't made an effort to visit you either. We've been keeping to ourselves since we joined Lelouch's campaign. The Black Knights are having-" she paused to think back to the argument that morning aboard the Tsugumi, "-internal problems."

"Oh... I see."

The feeling between them had suddenly gotten very awkward, and both Villetta and Jeremiah looked away from each other sheepishly, trying to think of something to say.

"Have you been in contact with Kewell?" Villetta attempted.

"You'll never believe what happened!" Jeremiah's good mood returned in an instant, and he leaned in toward his old friend excitedly. "You recall how we deported him back to the Homeland after the Black Rebellion?"

"I do. He wasn't very happy we joined the enemy."

"Right," Jeremiah continued with a nod of approval, "and he refused to join us and work for Zero. I called him up about a half-a-year ago and I actually got him to come back to the army! I put in a good word with His Majesty, and now he's in the Imperial Guard!"

Villetta's jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious. Last I heard, Kewell was anti-Lelouch. He was about as pro-Charles as you could get."

"True, but he was far too good a soldier to waste his life as a civilian and he knew it. When I mentioned him to the Emperor, Lelouch thought he had potential and interviewed him."

The use of the word 'interview' may not have been the right term to describe what actually happened, but Jeremiah wasn't about to tell Villetta the truth. Geass alone would be difficult to explain, nevermind the fact Lelouch had used it to make Kewell abandon racism forever.

Villetta raised a brow then turned her hands out as if asking for more.

"And?" she asked expectantly. "What happened?

"After only one talk with His Majesty, Kewell changed his opinion of our Beloved Emperor. He was added to the Imperial Guard the very next day!"

"Huh. Well, if anyone could talk some sense into that stubborn ass, it would be Lelouch."

Jeremiah grinned again and replaced his hands on his hips proudly.

"Agreed! His Majesty has quite a way with words." He hesitated for a moment as an idea came to him, then looked down at the dumbfounded Villetta and offered a suggestion as casually as he could. "We have a little time left before we're ready to move out. Do you want to go see him?"

Villetta blinked in surprise. Once. Twice. Then her face softened and she smiled, that pleasant feeling of nostalgia hitting her again.

"It would be nice to catch up together, just the three of us," she said slowly, warmth in her every word. "Just like old times."

Jeremiah smiled again, showing his teeth, then waved a hand to Villetta, bidding her follow him. He turned and started walking off, and before she could even begin to follow he called out to one of the black-uniformed Imperial Guard, the man turning to face them both, his eyes growing wide as he recognized who'd got his attention.

For the three former Purebloods this was a long overdue reunion, and though they'd drifted apart, seeing each other again they felt like they'd never left each other's company. It was just like old times.

LLLLLLLLLLLL

Back in his own clothes, his stolen Chinese uniform left folded back in his quarters, Lelouch looked out from his favourite meeting room on the top floor of the Shishio command center and down upon his troops. His arms were crossed and his body was tense with concentration, and he barely registered the various events he was seeing far below him. His mind was racing, as it had been since escaping I.I.'s base the previous night, thoughts filling him to the brim and overflowing as he tried to account for all the variables that would yet come into play during the next few stages of war.

He already knew that Sir Grenier was dead, a factor that would greatly damage the defense of France, but Lelouch found some small relief in knowing that he could be replaced relatively easily. All the Black King had to do was ask for a list of top KMF pilots then pick one at random and a new Knight of the Round would be named. More difficult to replace was the custom knightmare frame Z-M08-01 'Morien' that had been completely destroyed, leading to the Knight's death. It could be done, of course, but building a brand new Z-M08-02 would take time - time the Anglo-Franco Alliance didn't have.

As for more immediate concerns, Lelouch had only the vaguest idea of what kind of opposition he'd face on his march to Tokyo, and what kind of defenses the occupied city now contained. It could be safe to assume the enemy was spread out across Japan since they had a native populace to keep under control, and Tokyo itself would probably only contain a single knightmare division as a permanent garrison. Since the city itself was still in good condition from giving up largely without a fight when it was being conquered, there also likely wouldn't be many areas open enough for ground turrets to be effective, and Lelouch could reasonably predict where those spots might be and plan around them.

Also worth considering was the involvement of I.I. himself and any Geass users potentially under his command. From meeting Hisako, Lelouch was sure neither she nor her friends would be useful to I.I. in combat, but there was no guarantee that the mad Code-Bearer hadn't formed other Contracts, which meant Lelouch would have to be on alert at all times, listening and watching out for the first sign of Geass being used against his army. Code protected him from that power, by default making him the only one capable of fighting against it.

Luckily, Lelouch had plenty of Geasses on his side as well. In addition to his own and Naoto's, both requiring direct eye contact and being largely useless in the heat of battle, Jeremiah's Absolute Subversion could be used in an area-of-effect, causing anyone fighting him to lose focus and become vulnerable. Sayoko's power of Absolute Vision would help her in the covert operations he had planned for her, allowing her to sense the enemy's presence, location, and numbers with a thought. And most dangerous of all, Rolo's power could-

"Your Highness!" An agitated cry came from behind Lelouch, and he turned in place to see the door to the meeting room slide open, revealing just who he'd been thinking of, the Knight of Seven, Rolo Lamperouge. He was out of breath, as if he'd been running, but most prominent was the look on his face; Rolo's expression was filled with terror. "Lelouch! Sir!"

"Rolo?" Lelouch inquired slowly, his brow lifting in bemusement. They were on opposite sides of the room, the long meeting table between them and a beam of sunlight filtering through the window, covering them both in its golden warmth. "Why aren't you with Dorothea?"

Rolo only shook his head in reply.

"It's Nunnally," he panted. "You have to stop her!"

"What?" Lelouch's eyes widened, and in an instant his curiosity turned to panic. In the span of less than a second he'd thought of more than twenty disasters that might have befallen his dearest little sister, and in just as long, had struck down almost every one of them. They were in Shishio. The city-fortress was filled with Britannian soldiers loyal to the Royal Family, and Nunnally would be surrounded by her Royal Guard for even further protection. There was no way someone had gotten through all that with the intention of doing her harm, so then, what could have happened? "Where is she?"

Rolo waved a hand, motioning for Lelouch to follow him, then scrambled back the way he came. Behind him Lelouch didn't hesistate, and he sprinted as fast as his legs could take him to catch up. They passed through an empty hall, all the guards currently outside wishing their friends well before they went off to battle, running by a silent breakroom and dozens of deserted offices to their either side. After turning a corner the two once-brothers came to the elevator, and they summoned it, now both panting as they waited for their ride to ground-level to arrive.

"Nunnally's on the Rainbow Butterfly," Rolo said eventually, between small gasps for air.

Beside him Lelouch gasped a little louder and harder, but was making a valiant effort to stay in control of his body, and he scowled.

"She's supposed to be in her quarters."

There was a ding as the lift doors opened and the emperor and his knight stepped in, Rolo nodding as they let the thick metal portal shut behind them.

"Exactly! I was on the Rainbow Butterfly to see ASEEC about my new knightmare, but then I overheard the captain talking to some of the crew. Lelouch, Nunnally had her flagship added to the deployment roster! If you don't do something, she's going to join the battle for Tokyo!" True fear was in Rolo's eyes - the same fear Lelouch had felt countless times before when his sister was in danger - and it became immediately clear to the Black King that, no matter how well-trained he'd been in the art of assassination, his adopted brother had no idea how to deal with the dilemma currently before him. "You can't let her!"

The elevator doors opened as the two reached floor-level, and Lelouch nodded grimly, his mind already set to the task of solving this issue with his sister. She was among the most important things in his life, and Rolo's as well, and he wasn't about to let her risk her life coming with them into the middle of an all-out war.

Lelouch motioned with his hand.

"Lead the way."

Rolo needed no further instruction and bounded forward, with Lelouch keeping pace shortly behind him. They ran past a few guards and military administrators, and soon were outside in the cool coastal breeze, their boots thumping against pavement as they went straight for Nunnally's Logres-class flagship, parked a single airfield away so Nunnally didn't have far to travel between it and her quarters in the command center.

The giant warship's main hangar was located at its center, and the hangar door opened downward so knightmares or supplies could roll in from the ground. Currently, the Rainbow Butterfly's hangar ramp was wide open, revealing the carrier's innerds to the outside world. Dozens of Vincents, purple and pink and gold, were inside and arrayed in lines of humanoid steel, clamps coming up from the floor grasping their legs and feet and securing them so they didn't fall during their transportation. ASEEC mechanics stood around the frames, busily making their final checks and talking with their devicers, and as Lelouch and Rolo scampered in, they turned from what they were doing to watch the two curiously.

"Aha!" a familiar voice called from somewhere on a gantry. "Lulu! Rolo! Come to say hello before heading out, have you? Or perhaps you wanted to see the upgrades we've been making to the Tristan?"

The two of them ignored Lloyd and ran right by his perch, making for the hangar elevator in all haste.

Logres carriers were outlandishly huge, and accordingly, contained multiple decks. There were two hangars, one on top of the other, making up most the bottom two floors, with only a relatively small portion to their aft reserved as the engineering decks. Farther up was the crew cabins and rec room, and also the enlisted men's mess hall. At the top was the bridge, and snuggled safely at the heart of the vehicle was the officers' deck and ballroom, and on the Rainbow Butterfly, a garden area reserved for Princess Nunnally's personal use.

Lelouch and Rolo stayed in silence as they waited for the hangar lift to take them to the officers' deck, and once the doors opened again they shot off, storming their way through the ship's winding corridors until they finally reached their destination. Stopping just outside the stained glass double doors to Nunnally's garden, Lelouch took a moment to catch his breath, then reached out a fist and wrapped his black-gloved knuckles lightly against the solid varnished hardwood frame surrounding the glass. He waited for only a moment, then entered.

The room beyond the doors was colossal, easily fifty meters across but seeming to go on forever into the distance. The doors opened onto a polished silvery metal walkway running the course of the whole chamber, and it fed into a maze of smaller paths, each to a different subdivision of the garden as a whole and to various small greenhouses scattered throughout. All around was an entire ecosystem of greenery, every kind of flower and shrub imaginable being present, sectioned off to either side of the walkway and filling every spare nook not cleared for human traffic. And far away from the newcomers, at the very center of the garden, was Nunnally.

The young princess had a book on her lap, both hands on its pages, running her fingers over the bumps of braille, and when she heard the doors open she looked up curiously.

"Hello?"

Lelouch's stern gaze softened as he looked upon his sister, but he didn't smile.

"Nunnally," he called to her gently, letting her hear his voice before he approached.

"Lelouch!" Nunnally smiled wide at the sound of her brother and shut her book, raising one hand in informal greeting. "I'm so happy you're here!"

"Rolo is with me. He said you had the Rainbow Butterfly signed on to join the march for Tokyo."

As he spoke, Lelouch began to make the long walk to the center of the garden, Rolo close behind, and as he revealed what the younger boy had discovered, Nunnally's smile dropped somewhat in disappointment.

"That's right," she replied with the graceful authority only a member of royalty was capable of. "I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a Princess of Britannia, so I have just as much duty to fight as any of the Royal Family."

"Nunnally, you've grown to become stronger than I ever imagined possible." Lelouch shook his head as he finally got within arm's reach of his sister. "But there was no need for you to go behind my back and put yourself in extra danger to prove it."

Nunnally frowned in response, the expression utterly foreign to her face, then shouted back.

"That's not what this is about!"

Lelouch took a step back in shock as his sister raised her voice at him. She rarely used such a tone at all, and even less when speaking to him. In fact, the last time he remembered her doing so was all the way in his past life, coincidentally in a garden on a flying craft, that time being during the Battle of the Damocles. Rolo moved forward to address Nunnally, but Lelouch stopped him with a hand on his shoulder as the princess continued.

"I don't want to be useless anymore! I don't really know what's going on with this whole war. I can't quite place when things got so confusing and started falling apart. I'm worried about Tianzi. But most of all I'm worried about you. You're always doing so much, and you're always fighting to protect everyone. Well, I don't want protecting anymore! I want to stand with you for justice, not behind you where it's safe. Even if I can't do anything myself, at the very least my Royal Guard can help fight. Please, Lelouch, I just want to do my part."

At this, Rolo decided it was time for him to interject, and he pushed past Lelouch to kneel before the girl who was his entire world.

"But, Nunnally...!" he began, a truly adult concern in his voice.

"Stay out of this, Sir Lamperouge!" She cut him off with a vicious reproach. "This is between me and my brother."

Rolo's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide in disbelief, never once imagining Nunnally capable of being so commanding, and he got to his feet, trembling.

"I-I..." he stammered, then pounded a fist to his heart. "I apologize, My Lady."

Lelouch put his hand back on Rolo's shoulder and the boy turned his head, seeing the understanding in his king's eyes. The gesture was enough to reassure him everything would be alright, and Rolo stepped back to allow the blood siblings to speak face to face.

"Nunnally," Lelouch chided, "Shishio is well defended. You'd be safe if you just stayed here until we liberated Tokyo."

If her eyes had been open, Nunnally would have rolled them.

"You let me come this far. Why can't I go all the way by your side?"

"I only let you come because you insisted! And up until now we've had it comparatively easy. But this phase of our offensive is going to be chaotic. I don't want you to get hurt."

Nunnally remained impassive.

"I'll be fine."

"Nunnally...!"

"Lelouch!"

Lelouch let out a half-sigh, half-growl, and shut his eyes tight, his face stiffening as he concentrated his mind, trying to keep cool in front of his sister. He could already tell she wasn't going to budge on this issue, and being one of the few who could break his self-control, he knew he couldn't out-argue her. Not this time. Not when he was unprepared for a verbal struggle.

"Okay. Alright," he relented, though in a tone no less harsh than before. "I'll... We can... I can work you into the battle plans with the rearguard. Your flagship can also be a medical and refuelling station for the rest of our army."

"Lelouch!" Relief was in Nunnally's voice as she called her brother's name, her lips shifting into a joyous smile and her arms lifting, welcoming him to take her in a caring embrace.

As reply, Lelouch knelt in silence and raised his own arms, throwing them around his sister's tiny form and letting her pull him close.

"Just promise me one thing," he cooed softly as he rubbed a hand against her back, slowly, delicately, as if he were holding an infant. "Promise you'll stay safe."

"I promise. I won't have my ship break formation, no matter what, unless I get orders from you directly."

She seemed to be sincere about that, so with their terms negotiated and nothing else to discuss, Lelouch let the moment go on for a bit longer. He breathed in his sister's scent through his nose and squeezed her in his arms, some distant memory making him fear letting her go. He felt the folds of the back of her dress beneath his gloved fingers. He savoured the warmth of her head snuggled between his neck and shoulder, and the silky feel of her hair on his cheek.

"Good," he said finally. "Thank you. I love you, Nunnally."

"I love you, Lelouch."

They held their pose for almost a minute more, hardly moving, appearing like coloured statues at the center of the garden with Rolo as the sole and silent observer. The moment had to come to an end eventually though, and when it did, Lelouch gave Nunnally a last squeeze in his arms before releasing her and standing from his kneeling pose. He was not smiling. Instead, a grim, almost fearful look had taken residence on his face, and he quirked his eyes at Rolo as a signal to play along.

"Rolo." Lelouch addressed the boy easily, belying the severity on his face. It was obvious the emperor was trying not to alert Nunnally to his true feelings about her involvement in the upcoming battles. "Come with me.

"Um...!" Rolo stood up strait and nodded vigourously. "Right! But-" he paused as his eyes wandered to the blind angel sitting contentedly nearby, "-just a second, Sir."

Lelouch followed Rolo's gaze back to Nunnally and raised a brow questioningly, but before the Knight of Seven could explain himself the Black King had already replaced his cool demeanor and tilted his chin, tacitly giving his permission to proceed. He then pivotted in place, and in almost complete silence, the rythmic tap of his boots on the metal floor the only sound of his departure, Lelouch started for the stained glass doors and left Rolo alone with Nunnally.

Rolo watched him go, and once he was out of the garden with the doors shut behind him, the small Knight turned back to Nunnally with the same concern as before in his eyes. He knelt before her again, his blue cape pooling around him on the silver floor below, and dug in his suit coat pocket, quickly finding what he needed and pulling it out.

"Nunnally," he said, placing the trinket in her hands. "Here."

The princess accepted the item curiously and ran her fingers over it, taking note of its shape and size as a perplexed look came upon her face. It was a rectangular thing, cold and smooth, extending in two perpendicular directions like a capital 'L'. It was heavy, and as recognition spread across her features it grew even heavier in her hands, the implications of what Rolo had given her weighing more than any mere object.

"Hm? Ah! Rolo, this is...!"

In her hands Nunnally held Rolo's sidearm, a standard Britannian pistol, and as soon as she knew what it was she tried to give it back to him. He only shook his head though, even though she wouldn't see it, and closed her fingers around it.

"Just take it," he insisted, his voice barely a whisper. "Just in case."

"Rolo..."

He didn't give her the chance to argue, getting up from his kneeling stance and turning for the door before she could try giving his gun back to him.

"I have to go, Princess," he said, and with a tremendous effort, forced himself to leave Nunnally alone.

Outside the garden Rolo found Lelouch, standing with his arms crossed in the hallway. He had a coldness in his glare, and as soon as the doors were shut behind them he practically hissed.

"Rolo. I'm reassigning you to the rearguard. I'll send your knightmare the updated battle formation."

For a second, Rolo was taken aback, but then his mind filtered Lelouch's intention and he nodded, determination taking him and putting steel in his reply.

"Right!"

"No matter what," Lelouch continued with all seriousness, "you will protect my sister. Can I count on you?"

"I'd give my life in a heartbeat."

The wording of Rolo's declaration was enough to dent Lelouch's impenetrable visage, and though he had no idea what his liege was thinking, even Rolo could tell Lelouch was somewhat shaken.

Inside, Lelouch was fighting down long-forgotten regrets; thoughts that shouldn't matter anymore in this new life. It had been ages since he remembered the sight of Rolo's limp form and dying smile on his lips, but now the memory returned to him in full force. Every aspect of that event was etched into Lelouch's soul, burned into his retinas so deep he could never truly forget, no matter how much time passed and how busy he got with other things.

Lelouch remembered the coolness of Rolo's pale, pale skin as he lifted the dead boy from the Shinkiro's cockpit. He remembered Rolo's last words and his dying act being one of absolute selflessness for the only one who ever loved him, even if that love was only temporary and ultimately false. Lelouch remembered it all perfectly, including the sound of the slow exhalation as the last breath left Rolo's lungs, and the silence in his chest where once was the beat of life.

Lelouch remembered all this, and staring at the boy in front of him, alive once more because of his intervention in time and reality itself, he somberly gave the only response to Rolo's oath that he could.

"I know you would."

LLLLLLLLLLLL

It was going on noon in Penglai, where the the United Federation of Nations made its headquarters, and in the upper levels of the UFN main building, Shizue sat in one the offices located there, the diplomats who shared it currently absent. It was a fairly small room, the walls painted an off-yellow, like straw, and the floor was covered in an ugly grey carpet, and it was sparsely decorated. A few scrolls with Japanese characters drawn upon them had been tacked up on the walls and several picture frames rested upon the two computer desks shoved up against each other by the window, but litle else was present.

Shizue was behind one of the desks, her feet up and her hands behind her head, a bored stare on her face as she looked between the blinds and out the window at the world outside. There wasn't really much to do around the UFN building, and faced with so much time to herself, more often than not Shizue would find herself just watching the day go by and waiting for time to pass. After all, it wasn't like she could just leave. None of her group could leave. I.I. had brought her, Miyuki, and Eri specifically to keep the world's leaders, or what remained of their union, under control with their Geasses, and for months now that was exactly what they'd been doing.

The thought of turning the UFN against I.I. had occured to them many times, Shizue speaking out the strongest in favour of the idea, but whenever it came time to actually go through with it the girls hesitated. The fear they had for I.I. had been deeply entrenched during their years as his slaves, and though they had a perfect opportunity to betray him, so far removed from his presence and with ample amounts of potential mind-slaves to protect them, they still couldn't take the step.

So they waited.

Shizue and her friends waited day after day for something to happen, for some new orders to come from I.I. or R.R., or, they never dared to hope, an Anglo-Franco Alliance army to roll through town and save them once and for all. Yet none ever did. They were isolated and alone, stuck with almost a hundred politicians, under their spell at all times and whose minds were withered beyond healing from their powers, and with plenty of time and space to themselves with nothing to do.

While they were not truly safe from I.I., their Geasses a constant reminder of the power he held over them at all times, the former slave girls still couldn't maintain a feeling of dread at all times, and within the first few hours of relative freedom, their immortal Contractor out of sight and out of mind, they fell into boredom. After the first day Miyuki had figured a way to access their private email accounts on the UFN computers, and as luck would have it, it seemed Kumiko, in the Forbidden City controlling Tianzi, had managed to do the same, so the two groups were able to keep in contact.

Still, boredom was all-consuming for the girls in Penglai. Kumiko had even fewer people to talk to, huddled away with the Chinese Empress in her palace, where no one could discover the puppet strings directing her decrees, so though the first round of emails to and from her had been exciting, everyone quickly came to realize they had nothing to write about, and the emails between them slowed.

The UFN headquarters was somewhat removed from society, built just outside the Penglai city limits for the sake of privacy, and every day the politicians and other faculty who worked there would commute to and from state-provided apartments in the city, operating under the Geass-enforced advice of Shizue, leaving her and the others almost alone all night. There was always a small group of representatives in the UFN building, to handle an international crisis if it arose, but from five o'clock in the evening until dawn the next day, there was barely any traffic in the huge government building, and the girls were able to wander and sleep where they wished. But never were they allowed to leave the area and go into town. It was forbidden by I.I., and they dared not cross his demands, even in their most bored and careless moments. So the UFN building became their home, and so it would remain their only home for as long as I.I. had a use for them and its representatives.

At Shizue's instruction, several of the UFN politicians picked up different items from the store for her and her friends and brought it to them after the first night, when the girls found they had nothing but the floor and office chairs to sleep on, and no blankets or nighttime accessories to hand. Since then, the girls had set up some futons in the Australian office, given their country was kicked out of the UFN and the room was never occupied, and some board games and other little distractions littered the floor around them. It had become their own personal space since taking over the UFN, and while Shizue still went from office to office, spending time in whichever one she had the whim for, as if marking them as her territory, the former Australian room served as the girls' homebase, like a livingroom and bedroom mixed into one in their large, but boring home.

And so Shizue continued to sit, alone and in silence, looking out the window at nothing in particular and without a single thought in her head.

It was at that moment that the door slammed open and Eri and Miyuki ran in, panic evident on their faces as they approached their bluette friend.

"Shizue!" Miyuki began in a huff. "It's I.I.! He's calling us!"

Shizue took her legs from their spot on the desk in front of her and stood up, suddenly on high alert.

"Calling us?" she repeated in Japanese, unsure if she should be happy something was happening or else be thoroughly terrified.

"Miyuki had the secretary put the call to our room." Eri nodded as she referenced the geassed worker on the bottom floor. "She said he wanted to talk to all of us."

Shizue gulped as her friends explained what was happening, but quickly took charge, placing her hands on her hips and strutting out of the room, the other girls quickly following behind. They went to their room, the former Australian office, Shizue leading the way as confidantly as she could, and when they arrived they were able to confirm I.I. was indeed calling them. The phone on the wall was ringing, the public call transferred to the private line, and with a hesitant twitch to her fingers Shizue pushed the button to answer via speaker-phone.

"Hello?"

"Girls," I.I.'s voice came through on the other line, answering back in English, eerily pleasant as always, "we've had a bit of a change of plan."

"O-oh! I see." Shizue realized her mouth had been hanging agape from the moment she was informed about this surprise call and it was now quite dry, and she gulped again as a chill of fear ran down her neck. "What would you like us to do, Master I.I.?"

"Oh, nothing." The girls shared a look of confusion at the strange reply before the immortal continued. "Hisako and I are currently on our way to Tokyo. I'm quite certain Zero will have his pawn Lelouch try to retake the city soon, and the feeble mortals defending it will need my leadership if they expect to stand a chance."

Eri attempted a reply.

"Oh, well, good luck, then." She felt awful wishing for her Contractor's success against the Britannians.

"Luck will have nothing to do with it, I assure you. R.R. and I have given Geass to a whole new crop of soldiers, and they'll easily bring the battle to an end before it can even truly begin."

At this revelation, the girls stifled a collective gasp, each of them thinking the same thing. Eri even activated her Geass, using it unconsciously to try to get away from what she, Miyuki, and Shizue all could see coming. They didn't share words though, simply letting I.I. continue.

"Of course, there's more to war than just battles. There's also a political element, and my victory in Tokyo will shake the foundations of the so-called Anglo-Franco Alliance. But, if I actually want to break them, I need to do just a little more." The girls could swear as he spoke, measured and pleasant despite the terrible violence hidden beneath his words, they could hear I.I. smiling. He was always smiling, the smile never reaching his cold, dead eyes. "You have done well, girls. I am sending you some of my new Contracted troops. When they arrive, they will-" I.I. paused, as if to think how to word the rest of his sentence, but only making his conclusion that much more ominous, "-take care of you."

I.I. hung up, and as he did Shizue looked to Miyuki in horror, Eri completely forgotten while her Geass was still active.

"He's given more Geasses out," she whispered, returning to using Japanese. "We aren't necessary anymore."

Miyuki shivered.

"You don't think...?"

"I do think! We've been replaced - we don't have the option to wait around anymore. We need to fight back!"

Eri turned off her Geass, her left eye returning to its dark brown shade, and as she did, her friends looked to her, noticing her existence once more.

"You have a plan, right, Shizue?" she asked, her voice trembling, and Shizue nodded back to her, a haughty smirk spreading across her face.

"Of course I have a plan! We talked about this already, remember?" Replacing her fists against her hips, Shizue stood tall and proud and looked down on her two friends, who looked back at her desperately, hoping her advice could save them from being disposed of, not caring what it entailed, just wanting to be told what to do. "We have a home-field advantage AND our Geasses. We'll have no problem taking them out."

Eri shakily raised her hand.

"But... I.I. said the people he was sending had Geass too."

"It'll be no problem! We have you, Eri! Your Geass will take them completely by surprise, and if any of them are left by the end, I'll geass them into becoming our slaves. Just think! We'll have more Geass users directly under my control with no free will! With that much power, we can do anything! We can have the UFN betray I.I., and R.R. too! We could have them tossed in the deepest dungeon then throw away the key! Then we'd never have to worry about them coming after us ever again! We can do it, and all it'll take is dealing with the people coming to kill us. Now-" she motioned for Eri and Miyuki to come in close before resuming in a whisper, "here's what we're going to do..."

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Suzaku left Cornelia's headquarters late in the evening, taking with him dozens of Float-enabled carriers and five full airgroups of KMFs, more than 1000 of Cornelia's best knights. A storm was brewing, and if he could time it right, Suzaku said, the enemy wouldn't be able to receive reinforcements until after he flattened all resistance on Riau and brought the islands under official Britannian occupation.

Before he could go, Euphemia stopped him, using her Geass to improve his mood as she wished him well. Cornelia watched this with folded arms, standing back and scowling, not entirely sure what she was bothered about. Whether it was Suzaku taking command without her approval, whether it was his relationship with Euphie, or whether it was that damnable power of Geass once again reminding her of its existence, Cornelia didn't know and didn't care. And when Euphemia closed her eyes and raised her head in front of the Knight of One, prompting him to close his one uncovered eye as well and lean in for a kiss, Cornelia gave up trying to figure it out and stormed off.

Darkness fell shortly after Suzaku left with a crack of thunder and a pelting rain. Black clouds had covered the sky and the winds had picked up, and everyone in the city, whether soldier or civilian, was safely inside, no one particularly interested in enduring the weather.

Cornelia was in her G1, Guilford by her side as always, sitting on her command throne overlooking a computerized strategic map on the wall, the image of a blue triangle approaching the Riau islands displayed prominently in the center. Beside the triangle, marking Suzaku's warfleet, was a number, gradually counting down until he arrived at his target location. 50... 49... 48... Then the image fizzled and the screen went blank.

"The storm's interfering with our sensors," Cornelia declared absently to her officers below her. "Sir Kururugi's on his own now."

There was silence for a moment, even as the techs around the room attempted to reestablish communications, and Cornelia hummed to herself in thought. No matter what, she had to stay focussed on what was important - had to keep commanding her armies to victory until no opponents still stood. The existence of Geass made no difference to that, one way or the other. And yet, she couldn't stop thinking about it: The burning shape at the center of a glowing red eye. It made the warrior princess shiver at the mere memory of it, in Lelouch's eyes, in Suzaku's eye, in Euphemia's eye.

Cornelia's reveries were cut short as one of her technicians picked up a comm signal, filled with static and an irregular booming sound.

"-I repeat: Command, can ... hear ...?"

"This is Command," the crewman quickly replied. "Confirmed, we hear you. You're cutting out though."

"This is 2nd Fleet ... kilometers off the coast. We're under attack!"

Cornelia's brow quirked as everyone else collectively drew in a breath. She stood up from her throne.

"2nd Fleet, confirm now." Cornelia descended the steps down to the floor and approached the station receiving the distress call. "What's out there?"

"KMFs! A whole ... of 'em! ID marks ... as... What the-...? Wha' the hell are THEY doing here!?"

"2nd Fleet! Come in!"

Around the G1 everyone was silent, their eyes wide and their bodies tense as they waited to hear more. Then there was a huge crack from the other line and another burst of static.

"... I'm tryin', Captain, the ... s'not responding! We're as good as ... Oh, shit, sonnuva BI-"

There was a crash and the line went dead.

Everyone in the command room turned to Cornelia, watching her reaction and hardly drawing a breath. Outside, the rain continued to fall, each heavy droplet of water pounding against the G1's hull and sounding like the spatter of bullets against its thick armour. The roar of thunder shook the whole vehicle, and for a moment the room was turned white from the lightning just outside its windows. Cornelia snarled.

"Get all forces to battle stations! Prepare to repel the enemy with extreme prejudice!"

Cornelia didn't wait to make sure her orders were followed, instead stomping out the door with Guilford hot on her heels.

"Princess," he began once they were away from the command room and in the elevator, "this storm is going to be a major problem. Our ships won't be able to move properly and intercept the enemy before they make it to land."

The warrior woman only scoffed in reply, a deep crease in her brow as she made an effort to hold in her irritation. From the start of the day she'd been in a bad mood, and this just made things worse.

"It's ironic, don't you think, Guilford?" she offered eventually when the lift stopped and its doors opened into a long corridor leading to the G1's knightmare hangar.

"Ironic?"

"Ironic that the enemy would try to use this storm to make a surprise attack on our forward base. It seems they had the same idea as Sir Kururugi."

They stopped once they entered the hangar, their knightmares standing before them, mechanics already scrambling to load them with fresh energy fillers: The Fortis, purple and gold and deadly efficient, and the Z-M10-01, reusing the name 'Galahad', painted silvery grey and shining gold and no less powerful, were before them.

"Sister!" Cornelia turned to check as someone called to her from behind, realizing before they even locked eyes that it was Euphemia, running through the hall to the hangar and fighting to keep her balance in her heels. "Cornelia, there's a high alert going out! What's going on?"

"Enemy knightmares are incoming," Cornelia answered as evenly as she could despite the irksome feeling growing within her at seeing her sister. "Why aren't you on the Beaming Sunlight?"

Euphemia's face fell in embarrassment as she finally got in close enough to her sister to not have to shout.

"Oh, well, I... I wanted to be here, instead."

"So you could check up on Kururugi?"

"Well..."

Cornelia huffed and turned back to her knightmare, pulling out its black ignition key from her pocket, the designation 'FIR-12' inscribed in gold along its side.

"We lost contact with him. It could be the storm, or it could be enemy jammers. Or it could be both. Either way, we have more pressing concerns now." Cornelia went into the hangar and approached her knightmare, loading cord to pull her up to her cockpit already extended and waiting. "It's too late to go back to your ship now. Stay in the G1 and do whatever you're told."

Grabbing onto the loading cord and slowly being raised to her cockpit, Cornelia looked down to her Knight of Honour and barked to him, her business with her sister concluded.

"Guilford!"

The bespectacled knight pounded a fist to his heart then raced to his own frame.

"Right, Milady!"

Once inside the Fortis' cockpit with the latch closed behind her, Cornelia sighed a small breath of relief. Though on an intellectual level she knew battle to be a detestable thing, on a more personal level she couldn't help but enjoy it. It was a liberating feeling diving through the air or zipping over the ground on her landspinners, and there was nothing quite so rewarding as the frantic beep of a target lock when she lined up her rifle's sights on an enemy, just before pulling the trigger. When she was in her knightmare nothing else mattered and she could just live in the moment. All the little bothers of the day could be forgotten for a short while, or, depending on what they were, could be taken care of with a swift lunge of her lance.

Not wasting any more time, Cornelia stuck her key into the ignition and entered her activation code, and in quick response every screen lit up, showing her the world outside the windowless confines of her cockpit. On her front screen a message popped up in front of the Britannian flag in gold letters:

Initializing... Welcome, CORNELIA

-XXXXXXXXXX-

FIR-12 FORTIS
"Strike Down The Unjust With Steel And Fire"

-XXXXXXXXXX-

PREPARING TO LAUNCH...

Cornelia let a cruel smirk onto her face as another boom of thunder echoed outside and all her systems came online. Her knightmare wasn't built with any fancy gadgets or special weapons, rather, focussing on being just plain faster and stronger than anything else it might come up against. It was a mirror of her soul and her mindset, and stood in stark contrast to that of Lelouch and his ilk. They relied on Geass to supplement their natural abilities, using its arcane and devilish power to subvert their enemies rather than trusting in strength and valour, and for Cornelia this was distasteful at best, contemptible at worst.

Letting her smirk grow into a full grin of spite, Cornelia considered the battle ahead of her and what it would represent. She would win it. She would win and would scatter her enemies before her, with steel and fire and spirit, and not with magic, proving to herself, if no one else, that Geass was only a crutch for the weak.

The weather outside set the stage perfectly for the wrath she was about to bring down on her foes, and as another tremour of thunder rattled the G1's walls, Cornelia thumbed her controls and launched her knightmare out into the dark and stormy night.

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OUTTAKE 1

Naoto stepped out from the command center and was quickly joined by his teammates behind him, the many members of Red Squadron mimicking his moves with unnatural precision. He began to hum, and the others picked up the tune not a second later. He spoke, not shifting his gaze from right in front of him as his voice came firm but melancholy.

"We are the chosen ones. We sacrifice our blood. We kill for honour."

One of the female Red Squadron members continued the thought.

"We are th-" she attempted to use the same masculine pitch but failed miserably, "-ehem...!"

Another Red Squadron member picked up the line for her.

"-the holy ones. Our knightmares stem the flood. We slay for honour."

More and more of Naoto's elite retinue began to join in, all sharing the same thoughts and personality, overwritten into their minds by the power of Geass, and as they continued their voices began to grow louder and bolder, and their tone more melodic, until finally they were singing in earnest.

"In glory we'll return-"

"-Our destination's end!"

"We'll slay the dragon."

"No more living in fear-"

The woman member from before tried adding her voice again, this time adjusting it to within her vocal range, and she sang proudly, louder than all the others.

"-it's time to aid our king!"

At last the verse came to a peak and Naoto picked up the song once more, leading the others to all join in at once.

"We'll make it happen
'CAUSE WE ARE RED SQUADRON!"

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OUTTAKE 2

"Nunnally," Lelouch chided, "Shishio is well defended. You'd be safe if you just stayed here until we liberated Tokyo."

If her eyes had been open, Nunnally would have rolled them.

"You let me come this far. Why can't I go all the way with you?"

Rolo's face flushed and he gawked in horror at his princess's words. Lelouch meanwhile only smiled as a bead of blood dribbled from his nose, bringing up a gloved hand to wipe it away.

"Well, if it's with you... I guess it's alright. Baka..."

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