Despite the fact that he had finally received the orders he had been waiting for the past 7 years, Sturmbannfuhrer Tadamichi Kuribayashi couldn't help himself from feeling a pang of anxiety as he watched the instruments of his return slowly prepare for his journey.
It wasn't because he doubted the skills of the men who had been tasked to bring them back to the country of their birth.
Nor was it caused by the rather justifiable fear that his countryman would look upon him and his men as traitors since they had chosen to remain in Europe rather than join the fight to liberate Japan from the heel of the Britannian invader.
No, his unease was caused by the simple fact that he would be spending the next week trapped within the narrow confines of a machine that reminded him why he chose to pursue a career in the Imperial Japanese Army instead of the Fleet.
He of course would follow his orders and board one of the sea going vessels without complaint, but even if the ship's captain assured him of the smoothness of the journey, Kuribayashi knew that he would have to ensure that he was relatively close to a bucket if he wanted to maintain at least some of his dignity.
But justified fears about his sea sickness aside, the Japanese born Sturmbannfuhrer was happy at the chance to directly help the country of his birth free itself from the yoke of Britannia.
Though this long awaited mission include some rather strict stipulations from the woman who had chosen him to lead this mission instead of his somewhat idealistic commanding officer.
Most of them he would have agreed to anyway. For only the foolish or cowardly would deliberately target civilian populations when trying to convince a oppressed people to rise up against their overlords.
But Director Richter's additional command, while easy enough to follow, nevertheless revealed there was a more political side to this mission than he would have liked.
For while the 3rd Company of the Nippon Regiment was to aid the growing resistance movement, his orders strictly forbade him from placing his men under the direct control of the leader of the Black Knights, or under the control of those who chose to ignore the past exploits of the traditional military in order to sponsor the rise of Zero.
And thanks to the Reich's efforts in finally convincing the members of Kyoto to accept aid from Britannia's most powerful enemy, the remnants of Japan's army still retained enough strength to keep their position as one of the strongest factions that fought against the Empire. Though considering the background of much of the Reich's political leadership, it was understandable that Chancellor Krueger would prefer to deal with those who never abandoned their struggle against the Empire, instead of those that sought to claim the rewards of victory without having shared in the hardships of their people.
Sadly, that was a category that he, and most foreign born members of the Waffen SS unfortunately belonged to.
It didn't matter that he had been given orders by his superiors to protect the civilians that were desperate enough to run the Britannian blockade. Nor did it matter that his final order had been to maintain the honor of his country by pledging loyalty to the nation that stood the best chance of one day defeating the monster that had enslaved his homeland.
The fact remained that for the past 7 years, his actions had been conducted in the service of Reich, instead of Japan.
But finally, the day had come where he could serve the interests of not only his new masters, but also the nation of his birth.
Or at least it would be the day if their departure hadn't been delayed by the arrival of a less than honorable member of the service in which he belonged to.
If he had been of a higher rank, he might have been able to convince himself to demand an explanation for the unlooked for presence of the black uniformed female. Because even though he was a non European, he was also a member of the ISD, albeit its military wing.
But one glance at the number of bars on the black haired woman's shoulders, as well as the unmistakable symbol on her cap, a silver vulture carrying a skull in its talons, made it plain that such a course of action was not only unavailable to him, it could also lead to rather harsh consequences if he dared to voice his complaint.
For it was bad enough that the woman was 3 grades above him in terms of rank. But the avian shaped insignia made it clear that this female Oberfuhrer was a member of Director Richter's personal staff.
Quickly, he went over a mental list of things that could have earned a visit from his ultimate superior's representative.
Apart from himself, the only other member of this mission who had been briefed about their final destination had been the commander of the 5 ship flotilla. With the rest of men being informed only after they had left Port Sudan.
As far as he knew, they were almost finished loading up not only his company's wide ranging list of armaments, but also the supplies that would be used to resupply those that had chosen to continue the fight despite Japan's formal surrender.
And, thanks to facility's rather remarkable camouflage, not to mention the strong naval forces that allowed the Reich to retain control of the Red Sea despite Britannia's acquisition of the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula, there was nothing to suggest that they had somehow attracted the unwanted attention of the Empire.
Which only left one explanation for this sudden delay.
Something was getting added to the mission.
...
Despite the fact that this meeting was something she had been dreaming about ever since Zero had rescued her unfortunately misguided cousin, Kaguya was currently wearing a displeased frown as one of her future husband's more...disposable minions continued to mock her...less than full figured frame.
"BWHAHAHAHAHA. Oh this explains everything. You don't hide your face because your hiding from the Britannian military. You hide it because you don't wanna appear on shows like 'To Catch A Predator'. I don't know why you would want to chase little girls when you have women like Kallen and Naomi hanging around. I mean, have you seen how Kallen looks in that outfit the Indian woman designed? Man. If she wasn't Naoto's little sister, I wouldn't mind try to get into her p...GRKKK".
Though her position required her to maintain an aura of dignity and civility, something which she had temporarily forgotten when she had jumped up into the air to hug her surprisingly tall idol, the 14 year old head of the Sumeragi Clan nevertheless released a small giggle as she watched the infuriated red head kick the headband wearing man in a place that had most of the male onlookers cringing.
"WHAT THE HELLS WRONG WITH YOU"?
While enjoying the sight of the rather attractive woman defending her honor, the kimono wearing girl cleared her throat in order to focus the attention of the room back onto her.
"My apologises everyone for my less than professional conduct. I should have begun with a formal introduction before I allowed my enthusiasm to runaway with me. I am Kaguya Sumeragi. One of the leading members of the Six Houses of Kyoto, and your most vocal supporter on the council. It is my honor to finally make your acquaintance".
Bowing in the traditional manner of their people, the black haired girl fought the very real urge to squeal in excitement as her idol responded to her introduction with a traditional bow of his own.
"The honor is all mine Lady Kaguya. And on behalf of my subordinates, I apologize for their less than respectful antics".
Smiling at the masked man's apology, Kaguya waved her hand as she tried to adopt a more serious demeanor.
"Oh that's quite all right Lord Zero. And as I said before, it was my fault for allowing my enthusiasm to runaway with me. Though I must admit that I am rather pleased to see the devotion of your woman. I doubt that many mistresses would defend their lord's honor in such a straightforward manner".
Tilting her head in amusement as she watched the red head blush red in embarrassment while she tried to deny that there was anything romantic between her and Zero, the green eyed girl adopted a bit of a pout as her future husband chose to get right down to business.
"Kallen isn't my mistress, but her loyalty is without question. But speaking of questions, may I ask why you are here Lady Kaguya"?
Sighing at the question, as well as Zero's inability to act less formal with his future bride, Kaguya adopted a small frown as she shifted into the persona that left little doubt that she deserved her position as one of the leaders that supported Japan's insurgent campaign.
"Of course. Despite your undeniable success against the Britannian Empire, and the fact that the Black Knights are currently considered by most to be Japan's strongest resistance movement, the Houses of Kyoto have decided to assign an observer to your organization to ensure that your actions are in the best interest of the Japanese People".
Seeing the expressions of shock that appeared on the faces of her husband's subordinates, Kaguya hastened to expand upon her explanation.
"This isn't because we have lost faith in your abilities, far from it actually. But since Kyoto has spent many years and resources supporting a group that failed to recognize what they were fighting for, and the fact that the Empire is actively making an effort to wipe out the last hopeful embers of a restored Japan, it was decided that in these dangerous times, it would be better if there was a more...direct relationship between those who supply the means for our liberation, and those that use them".
Hoping that her word's hadn't offended the masked man, for she was very well acquainted with how the male ego tended to react when it believed it was being threatened, Kagyua released a small sigh of relief as Zero nodded his head in approval at her explanation.
"Considering the track record of the Japanese Liberation Front before its near destruction, I think this decision has merit. Though I am confused as to why a person of your...status would choose to deliver this message in person"?
Smiling at the man's understandable confusion, the 14 year old head of the Sumeragi Clan adopted an expression that more suited for her age as she proceeded to answer her future husband's question.
"Because I will be serving as Kyoto's observer".
Having expected Zero to accept her answer, Kaguya lost some of her cheerfulness as the man reacted in manner that was almost similar to the way most of her fellow council members reacted when she told them of her decision.
"What"?
Pouting at the man's less than enthusiastic response, and seeing that the rest of the Black Knights were currently wearing expressions that more or less mirrored what their leader was thinking, the kimono wearing girl hurried to explain this decision.
"Its mostly due to the nature of your agreement with the General Todoh and his faction. While your organization is definitely the stronger of the two, the fact remains that the remnants of the JLF are not quite weak enough to have Kyoto simply order them to become part of your organization. Therefore, in order to ensure a greater degree of cooperation between your forces and the more...resistive members of Todoh's faction, who I assume will only get worse as they rebuild their strength, I decided to volunteer my services to help foster a more cooperative atmosphere".
Doing her best to retain her confident smile in the face of all the disbelieving expressions that were being sent her way, Kaguya was more than a little relieved when Zero slowly nodded his head in acceptance of her answer.
"Considering the more...conservative of Todoh's followers, I suppose that makes sense. However is it wrong of me to assume that your position requires you to remain unbiased when it comes to settling...difference in doctrine"?
Shaking her head, Kaguya's expression quickly morphed back into her more business like mask as she answered the question.
"You are not wrong. Even if you and the Black Knights are my favorite organization that is fighting for Japan's freedom, I will not hessite to side with your rivals should you do something to harm our people's chances for a better future. However, since I have full confidence in your abilities, and currently believe that the efforts some of my colleagues are using to help remove Britannia from our country are less than wise, I doubt that you have to worry about me siding against you".
Smiling as her words caused the masked man to once again nod his head in acceptance of her words, Kaguya's expression morphed into a frown as Zero's pompadour styled subordinated hesitantly voiced his understandable curiosity.
"Pardon me for asking this Lady Kaguya, but what do you mean by your colleagues are using others means to free our country"?
Pleased to see that her future husband had chosen to surround himself with intelligent people, the loud mouth idiot being the sole exception of course, the Japanese noblewoman released a sigh as she was forced to admit something that she personally believed to be a poisoned chalice.
"Despite the recent change in the Emperor's opinion for his European adversary, Kyoto has been informed that the Reich will not only continue supply the JLF with the weapons it needs to fight against Britannia, but that it will also be sending over a small expeditionary force to serve under General Todoh's command".
Though expecting to see puzzled faces at this announcement, if only because she was certain that they were confused by her less than pleased expression when delivering this news, Kaguya had to once again question why her groom to be hadn't used the moronic twit as cannon fodder.
"About time if you ask me. I mean, if we had European arms and soldiers with us from the beginning of the occupation, hell even before the surrender, we could have defeated Britannia years ago".
Opening her mouth to chastise the outspoken idiot, Kaguya was prevented from doing so by the musing tone of her masked hero.
"I do not believe that to be true Tamaki. Considering that Europe had been on the verge of losing the Great War before they won the Battle of Kursk, which as you know took place nearly 3 months before the Invasion of Japan, I doubt they would have been able to spare anything of value without running the risk of resuming hostilities. However, I have heard rumors that once he had managed to rebuild his country's ability to successfully resist Britannia's military might, Chancellor Krueger has been most willing to lend a hand to those that prefer to die with a gun in their hand rather than submit to the empire's rule".
Nodding her head to confirm Zero's words, Kaguya did her best to keep her tone even as she proceeded to expand the Black Knight's knowledge about the Reich's clandestine efforts.
"He has, but the Chancellor of the Gross Europa Reich never does so unless he gains some benefit from those he helps. Or do you not think it odd that Britannia has better luck in wiping out some resistance movements than others"?
Once again expressing her approval as the more intelligent members of the Black Knights wore looks of shocked consideration, Kaguya allowed a small frown to cross her face as a bored voice added to her little briefing.
"Considering that most of those cells chose to chase the dream of achieving independence from both Pendragon and Berlin, I don't think its too difficult to imagine that Krueger would choose to favor those that wish to acknowledge him as their ruler'.
Though momentarily caught off guard by the sudden arrival of Zero's mistress, the young Japanese woman nevertheless managed to nod her head in agreement with the green haired girl's observation.
"Indeed. However as you can see, some of my colleagues are more or less willing to overlook this fact since they are blinded by what the Reich can offer them in return. I do not deny the usefulness of the weapons and knightmares they supplied the JLF, for I suspect that if it weren't for them I suspect that the Battle of Narita would have resulted in a different outcome, but some things come with too high a price. And I fear that having soldiers of the Reich on Japanese soil, even those who where born in this country, is only one of the first steps in exchanging a Britannian overlord for a European one".
Seeing the masked man nod his head in agreement with her argument, something which only served to increase her admiration for the man, Kaguya was nevertheless more than a little let down by his response.
"I agree. However, considering that we are still a long way from being ready to openly challenge the might of the Britannian Empire, I fear that we will have to tolerate whatever designs the Reich has on Japan. At least for the time being. The plus side is that unlike the more…unsavory political leadership of the Federation, the Reich's current ability to project their power into the Pacific is limited".
Though agreeing with Zero's observation, the young Japanese woman couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed with his response. But considering that his argument had been almost identical to the words Kirahara had used to get her to stomach the thought of working with a man whose method of governing was little better than the Emperor of Britannia.
She could only hope that her groom to be, who had already proven that one did not necessarily need the backing of a large and experienced army to stand against the might of Britannia, was developing some sort of plan to block any future attempt to turn his organization into another puppet of the Reich.
For she had no intention of seeing her beloved country suffer the same fate as the Middle Eastern Federation. And she was fairly confident that Zero shared this ideal for the future.
….
Dismissing the understandably concerned looking black uniformed trio with a wave of my hand, for this was probably the first time they had ever heard the unmistakable sound of gun fire coming from my private office, I waited until the rifle carrying guard detail had left the room before turning my attention back towards the bullet ridden piece of machinery that had up until a minute ago, had been the screen for one of my private communications systems.
Glaring at the destroyed piece of equipment that had suffered my rather justifiable violent outburst, I took a moment to calm down before I contacted my secretary.
"Walther, inform Director Richter that she I will be contacting her on a secure line in 15 minutes. And after you do that, contact Port Sudan and tell Commodore Prien to expect further delays in his departure".
Not bothering to wait for the acknowledging response from my competent secretary, I poured myself a much needed glass of high quality schnapps as my mind replayed the conversation that had ended with me emptying an entire clip of 9mm bullets into a computer screen.
(Flashback)
"Greetings Chancellor Krueger. I must say that it is a privilege to finally having the chance to speak with you".
"Is that a fact? Well perhaps if your chosen messenger had been a little less….homicidally inclined, our so called meeting would have occurred sooner".
"And I do apologize for that. Competent minions are so hard to come by these days. Which is why I won't hold it against you for his untimely death".
"And why pray tell do you think your agent is no longer in the realm of the living"?
"Mmmm, couple of reasons actually. But the primary one has to do with the fact that I know foreign spies have a rather nasty habit of dying when they find themselves in the care of your loyal attack dog. Or did you think he wouldn't have reported in before he took the next step in his mission"?
"And assassinating my child hood friend was a crucial step in trying to let me know you wanted to speak with me"?
"Technically no, but Rolo did have instructions to do whatever it took to get the message to you. I do apologize for his somewhat accurate assessment of labeling Miss Richter as an obstacle".
"Considering she's alive and well, I suppose I can overlook it this once. Now, since we've gotten the pleasantries out the way, and the fact that I have no intention of wasting my entire afternoon talking to distorted image, I suggest we get down to business".
"Heh. That's what I always admired about you Chancellor. Unlike your predecessors, you have the remarkable talent of getting to the heart of things".
"Considering the nature of what you wished to discuss, can you honestly blame me"?
"No I cannot. And before we begin I must offer my sincerest apologises for being the one to commit the crime you undoubtedly wished to commit yourself. I assure you that if I had known your hatred for the raven haired witch stemmed from a more personal point of origin, I would have done my best to involve you with her demise. Yours was the not the first family she ruined, and had I not acted on a rather rare opportunity, I am certain that more people would understand the pain we both share".
"In this, you have my thanks. However, I do not think you would go to the trouble of contacting me in this fashion if you simply wished to confess that you are responsible for the death of a war criminal. Especially since I have had 7 years to savor the death of that...woman".
"You are correct. The purpose of this discussion is to ascertain whether or not your hatred for the late empress extends to her children".
"...Considering that her brats died during Britannia's invasion of Japan, I fail to see why that is a relevant question".
"Oh but it is. It truly is. Despite being one of the less...physically inclined members of the Imperial Family, Lelouch and Nunally Vi Britannia sadly lacked their mother's inability to survive deadly situations".
"I...see. So the reason your contact me is...".
"To see if you believe in the saying that 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree'".
"Well, again that depends. If the Vi Britannia siblings are living a life in obscurity, I would trust in the thoroughness of my security forces to eventually find them once I control the country they are currently living in".
"And if I were to tell you that at least one of them was trying to build a powerbase that would allow him to challenge his overly indulgent father"?
"If that were the case, then I would order my faithful subordinates to assemble a task force to take him out".
"Then we are in accord".
"Are we? Considering the nature of your...messenger, I fail to see why you wouldn't deal with this problem yourself".
"Sadly, Rolo was very much a prototype that, as I'm sure you discovered, required much improvement. And since he's...acquired a protector that protects him from low anything less than a small strike team, something which I sadly lack at this point in time, I believe you are more suited to dealing with this problem".
"I believe that depends whose hiding the bitch's spawn".
"No need to slip into profanity Chancellor, though I full heartedly share your hatred for that woman. My sources tell me that Lelouch Vi Britannia is currently hiding behind the coattails of a certain masked terrorist/idealist. Since you probably identify more with the remnants of the Japanese military rather than some opportunist in a cape, I have no doubt that you'll have little difficulty in removing the last remnants of that woman's taint from the world. Of course it won't bring your family back, but killing the children of the monster who killed your last surviving relative would probably help you move past your fail...".
(flashback ends)
Swallowing the remainder of my drink in a largely futile attempt to smother the rage I felt at V.V.'s cruel reminder of my greatest failure, I somehow managed to keep my tone even as I answered the secure call from my childhood friend turned lover.
"Karina, I have additional orders for your observation team".
...
Having indulged in a hearty chuckle at the rather violent and abrupt way Krueger had ended their conversation, the blond haired immortal allowed his good mood to evaporate as he mentally went over the various plans he had set in motion.
As the eldest survivor of a vicious blood letting that had resulted in the near destruction of the Imperial Family of Britannia, although his younger brother's...nocturnal activities had managed to surpass the numbers the family possessed before the Emblem of Blood, V.V. had developed an aversion to relying on a single plan to achieve his objectives. For he knew from personal experience that sometimes the plan that had been developed as a backup to the original was the one that could result in his desired ends.
And considering that Marianne's son possessed the same streak of luck that had clung to the woman until that fateful evening, he ensure that he had as many back ups as possible.
The boy's increasing power had finally motivated his more gifted nephew to take a more direct role in Britannia's efforts to maintain its control over the nation that housed a Thought Elevator. Which would not only increase the chances of defeating Marianne's eldest child, but also ensure that a certain green haired annoyance would be unable to escape once they were finally ready to kill God.
That was his primary plan, but should it fail, V.V. had no doubt that a certain German born dictator would be able to help him ensure that his baby brother remained committed to the plan they had promised to fulfil all those years ago.
The only problem with this plan was that it had taken to long to initiate.
For thanks to Rolo's bumbling, Krueger had been informed of the survival of the Vi Britannian siblings long after the window to quietly remove them had been closed. And since Charles's was openly amused with the antics of his rebellious progeny, any attempt to provide more than the barest amount of aid to the European Chancellor would undoubtedly be discovered.
However, while Krueger was an undeniable threat to the Holy Britannian Empire, both in terms of military power and his ability to restrict all but the most limited access to the European located thought elevators, the man was a perfect instrument for his final revenge against the woman that had led his brother astray.
Intelligent.
Powerful.
And in possession of a credible excuse for his actions that could never be tied to him.
Such a shame that he would be unable to personally bring an end to the woman's line, but such sacrifices were to be made when one was trying to bring an end to the source of the evils of the world.
…..
ANNNNNNNNND that's enough for now XD
Grateful to my faithful readers, helps me to remain motivated XD. And now to briefly summarize what has happened.
1st segment, Thanks to Fortitude501's suggestion, have a historical figure on the way to help out the Japanese Resistance against Britannia. Think it will be interesting to write interactions between Todoh and the leader of the Japanese defence on Iwo Jima. Was also a useful way to expand/comment on how Europe has gained some of its foreign troops. Promise to expand later. And would have been harder to do IF I hadn't changed the overall fate of the JLF.
2nd segment, earlier interaction between Kaguya and the Black Knights. Pretty self explanatory I think.
3rd-4th segment, the long awaited conversation (albeit in flash back form) between the murderous immortal midget and the dictatorial OC, and musings XD. Pretty happy with how it turned out to be honest.
Next chapter will hopefully have the first interaction between Schneizel and the Black Knights, still contemplating on how close to cannon I should have it. And further plot points that I am still working out XD.
And now to comment/answer the questions/replies of those who took the time to write them :D
Fortitude501: Kuribayashi would no doubt handle the situation professionally and humbly so. Todoh and his holy swords, and remaining JLF remnants, wouldn't hesitate to show their utmost respect towards the man who proved himself to be an amazing military commander far beyond their expectations.
Reply: Won't reveal too much since I have still to finalize the details of this meeting, but I can state that you are correct in how TODOH would view the Japanese born ISD Officer. Plan to have some sort of personal backstory between the two, but still working out details XD.
Chancelor ZVE
- I can't remember if you answered this or not before, but has Cornelia ever fought any battles in the First Great War? I'm asking because it's obvious that Nonette has seen some action if her recollections on the Russian Front against Krueger aren't obvious enough, and she was a classmate of Cornelia at the military academy. So if both graduated at roughly the same time, then Cornelia could have been allowed to deploy around the same time as Nonette. That's my theory anyway.
Answer: Nonette has seen action on the Russian Front, but Cornelia, haven't said if she's participated in the First Great War. Plausible since her first assignment was to act as head of security for Marianne, then period of grieving, and further training. Will expand later on in the story, but currently, my thoughts are she served in the closing months of the conflict in Africa.- There have been various talks in this chapter about the Knights of the Round being major game changers in any war theatre they are deployed to, and the Reich has been noted to be the most, if not only, credible threat to the Empire; therefore, I must ask, does the Reich have their own group of elite Knightmare pilots similar to the Empire's Knights of the Round? If so, do you have a name for such a group?
Answer: Apart from commandos like Skorzeny, or Waffen ISD Tank/Knightmare divisions, haven't really thought of it to be honest. Think I stated it in earlier chapters, but European combat philosophy is more based on teamwork rather than reliance on one super solider. Like how the Soviets and Germans concentrated their most skilled personel in select units. However, if I choose to adopt sci fi elements of other stories (I.e. having the Reich have Uber Panzermench to combat Britannia Geass users) will let you know XD. But for now, nothing of a similar nature to the knights of rounds.
Fuhrer of Europe
Greetings once again DWAR! A great chapter as always if I do say so myself. So the Black Knights-JLF joint operation was a success and not only managed to pilfer much-needed resources to continue the fight against the Empire, but also severely hampered the Imperial garrison by destroying their infrastructure on the way out. Too bad Lelouch can't actually enjoy the feeling of victory now that he knows that Suzaku pilots the Lancelot. Then there is the added detail of the upcoming peace deal through marriage that could potentially divert more Imperial forces to settle their internal affairs and possibly jeopardize the whole Area 11 rebellion. It appears very coincidental that Lelouch is suffering from severe stress at about the same time as Cornelia due to the very same battle, even if for entirely different reasons. Like brother, like sister, eh?
Answer/Reply: Considering that they both have the same father, who is not exactly one who likes things that don't go according to plan, not that surprising that Lelouch and Cornelia both suffer from stress XD. And if you think its bad now, wait til Lelouch finds out which sibling is being offered up for political reasons. Should be fun.
As to the subject of the political marriage, Suzaku believing that it's Cornelia who is being sent for the marriage is incredibly amusing to me, as if he can't possibly countenance the thought of Euphemia being the chosen bride. Why I say that is simple: Euphemia is a major pillar of Suzaku's belief that the Britannian system can be worked with for the benefit of the Numbers (no matter how stupid and naïve that is to practically everyone else), and Suzaku has stated during the Battle of Narita that the Gross Europa Reich's existence rebukes his belief to its very core; therefore, I believe that Suzaku trying to imagine Euphemia marrying Krueger is a total contradiction in his mind.
Answer: You are correct. However, do recall that in this story, while Suzaku admires Euphie for her belief in using peace to obtain desired results, their personal relationship isn't quite as strong as cannon due to not only the identity of the Lancelot's pilot being not common knowledge, but also because Cornelia is being a tad more protective of her sister from 'corrupting influneces', and doesn't trust Suzaku's ability as much since his record isn't as impressive as cannon. Going with the whole 'Admiring from afar/want to get close but no good opportunity' trope.
Now with that lengthy explanation out of the way, I'll move on to Student. I can kind of understand what Student must be feeling in being given the chance to redeem what should have been a crippling end to one's military career, especially in the Reich who doesn't take incompetence well at all, but that also puts immense pressure on his shoulders since the whole Operation Reclamation could hinge on whether Student can deliver or not. I would not want to be him in this "all-or-nothing" opportunity since I never really did adequately under too much pressure. While I'm talking about Generals, I'm going to hold off on commenting or asking about General Darlton's situation until I find out what his ultimate fate is under Richter's... "care".Answer: You are correct. When it comes to the fate of those that failed the nation/leader, combining elements of WW2 Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. Germany because, early on at least, those that displeased the political leadership where allowed to retire/resign in disgrace, and Soviet Union because some of their best military leaders came direct from the Gulag to serve their nation. So...Student will have a chance to redeem himself, but like the Soviets, knows the price of failure.
I'll end this review with my thoughts on Schneizel's segment. You captured his qualities rather well in my opinion, and it was funny to see Kanon being the realistic advisor no matter how much Schneizel would feel displeasure from being reminded of the qualities that make the Reich a dangerous foe of the Empire. As for Schneizel's belief in his trump card, I can't wait to see his reaction when he sees what the Reich has been building up that not even the Emperor and his midget brother know about. Schneizel is working hard to try and widen the supposed lead the Empire has against the Reich, but he may not realize that the Reich will surpass the Empire until it's too late. Just have to wait and see I suppose.
Answer/Reply: Thank you. Always got the sense that Kanon's primary role is to keep Schneizel grounded, and that Schneizel appreciates a friend who isn't afraid to tell him he's wrong. And as for the superweapons...the reaction I'm going for isn't Gotterdamureng Musen Fliegen XD...but more like the city destroyers from independence day coming to rest over their first targets XDAnyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Will be a while til my next one, so hope this ties you over XD
As always, reviews welcome, flames not.
Heil Europa.
