Code Geass is owned by JNN, Sunrise, and Namco Bandai respectively in it's original Content.
Any and all Fictional Names added to this Fic are owned by their respective owners. Which is Sunrise and Namco Bandai. These will be referred to as Cameos, Appearances, and Additional Cast Members. All subjects that relate to other fictional sources of entertainment are owned by their respective owners.
Any and All names of people that have, had, or will, relate to any reader; Know that these are inspired by historical events and characters. This is in no way shape or form a way to depict people that once were alive in the past of the Anno Domini Timeline.
This is an Inspired work of fiction.
Chapter Word Count: 12,134
Chapter 11: And all the men and women merely players
The day had finally arrived. Sri Lanka's venue board in the city of Columbo had yet to tally their guest numbers, but it was surely in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions. Sri Lanka was in a special situation; The country was split down the middle with the Northern part belonging to the Chinese Federation and the Southern half being part of the Britannian empire, serving as a partial demilitarized zone in recent months because of the somewhat peaceful relations between the two powers.
Julius looked out into the sports arena, taking in a deep breath before turning around to issue orders. "Alright we have a few hours before we begin. I want our makeshift Command Information Center here, front and center. What's the time on our units?"
Mutsuki Minase looked through her tablet computer before answering, "Three hours for all K-Units to be displayed."
"Prydwen has left the dock and is proceeding to anchor two kilometers outside of the venue per your instructions." Ayame Futaba quickly continued, her hands hovering over a small radio communicator made specifically for this event.
"Good."
"The Britannian Engineering Corps has entered with their Gloucester in the south wing. Their royal highnesses and their knights are escorting it." Ichijiku Hinata relayed information from the ground. "Sorry Mr. Kingsley, they have a tarp over it."
"It's fine, we've done the same." Julius waved off. He turned to see Diethard and his assistant setting up various cameras for the upcoming event, sure to record and broadcast any reaction. He shrugged and started to help unpack the sensitive equipment stored in dozens of pelican cases.
It was good that the observation tower they were going to be in was spacious. The space helped immensely when they dragged the 'all in one' computer tables onto the plush carpet flooring. They'd have room to walk and then some.
Overall they had three metal tables with his computers attached to a set of wireless transceivers and hubs. They didn't need monitors, the tables were equipped with holographic projectors followed by tactile feedback touchscreen keyboards. All they had to do was wait now. The Gloucester's development team volunteered to go first.
Maybe this wouldn't be boring after all.
"You're quite liberal, employing Honoraries for such a position."
He turned to greet his half sister, Marrybell, although she didn't quite know that. The woman who was one year younger than him looked over at his operators with a critical eye, surrounded by a small cadre of her Glinda Knights. A girl by the name of Oldrin Zevon and a man, Leonhardt Steiner.
"Your highness," Julius bowed in greeting and his employees followed suit. "Who I employ is my own prerogative. They've been vetted and they hold their positions through the most rigorous of tests and training."
"Her highness meant no offence I'm sure," the Steiner boy replied.
"I apologize if I seemed defensive. I've heard all the insults before, they earned this position and I will not deny them the honor if this serves as a beacon for their fellows to join in becoming subjects to the crown."
"It's rare to see someone elevate another on one's merit isn't that right, sister?" The older Princess of the Empire said, waking up from behind Marrybell with Guiliford and Darlton at her side.
Julius bowed again, "Princess Cornelia."
"Yes, I'd just about had it when I've combed through the other areas for corruption and other dubious charges." Marrybell quickly added, nodding upon remembering her past experiences. "And there is no need for the apology Mr. Kinglsey. I understand it must be quite frustrating to promote integration in an Area recently added to the Empire's fold. I do not envy your efforts."
"That being said," Guiliford started, looking over his consoles with an interested eye. "You are good on your word."
Cornelia agreed, "You actually came, now let's see if you deliver."
Julius raised a shaking fist with a giddy look in his sole eye. "Honestly, I'm quite excited. I expect a lot of things from the Gloucester, your highness."
"Yes well, Competition breeds excellence." Cornelia added tactfully which earned a few raised brows. "Don't expect the best thing since sliced cheese."
"In another note, Kingsley. I remember you vied for additional terms in agreeing to the location switch. You wanted to include the use of your aircraft carrier?" Marrybell changed the subject.
"Yes, Kingsley. Why did you bluster with asking for the use of personal assets. What was it? A refurbished Kuznetsov that you purchased from the Chinese Federation?"
"She is no longer a Kuznetsov, your highness. The Prydwen has been completely redesigned from the ground up." Julius corrected lightly. "But that's not the point of the question was it?"
"No, no it wasn't. Why did you think it was necessary to transport your knightmares on your Prydwen instead of one of your carrier planes? Is it simply a show, a display?"
"In part, and they aren't knightmares" Julius admitted to Princess Cornelia, which only earned a raised brow. "I decided since I'm going to be showing the extent of my capabilities as an engineer and display the performances of what true advancement is supposed to be, I should spare no expense."
Julius motioned to the window behind him as he continued, "There's a lot of space in the arena and while it would be irresponsible to send my units out into live fire, I figure the best option would be to do a mock battle. They'll simulate a mission and battle plan of launching from the Prydwen much like a G-1 and then proceed to attack my unit. The unit will defend itself by attacking its enemies. They'll use paint rounds of course."
"The ship is out to sea, what are you using, Portmans?"
While using Britannian 4th generation amphibious Knightmares were an option, everyone in the building knew they underperformed above water. Such a test wouldn't prove Kingsley's machine to be competitive to the Gloucester.
"Ju~li~us~" An arm immediately came out of nowhere around Julius' shoulder. The face of Lloyd Asplund appeared with wide eyes to stare at everyone nearby. The two royals sighed in exasperation as he babbled, "You're here! I had no doubts, you're one go getter!"
"...Yes, thank you Dr. Asplund"
"Aaaaand," he drawled, moving himself into a spin before adding into the conversation. His assistant by the name of Cecile rubbed the bride of her nose as he snapped his fingers, dangling a key chain with a flash drive on it. "Here."
…
They could feel the room get colder.
…
"Are you mocking me?" Julius said dangerously.
Lloyd giggled without shame, "Take it."
"Ooof." An elbow roughly hit him in the side, his assistant silently scolding him.
"Sorry, Mr Kingsley. What Lloyd wants to say is that he isn't obliged by the terms of the bet."
"Yup yup," he nodded, rubbing the offended area with a free hand. "Honestly I just wanted everyone to sweat a little and I already decided to hand it over if you didn't follow through. Your prize is Rakshata's files, not mine. And I'm not going to use this anyway so might as well."
Julius simply stood stock still, his eye following the flash drive swing from side to side. On one hand, he didn't want to feel as if he was being pitied. On the other hand, the files would help him immensely with his short term goals.
"Just take it." Lloyd said, shoving the drive into his hand without room for refusal. "My arm's already getting tired holding it out."
Julius gulped, taking in a breath. His hand was already halfway into a breast pocket to pull out a reader. "Alright, I'll be sure to use it."
"Now?"
Julius said nothing as he pulled a pocket computer the size of a small ruler. With a flick of a switch a slot opened and he installed the drive as the computer booted up. A holographic display appeared in front of them while he commanded it via his thumb.
"I don't think I've seen such a device on the market." Cecile hummed in thought. Others agreed, likewise.
"Did the EU have such devices, sister?"
"For their civilian sector. But from what I understand however, they don't seem to be as advanced as Kingsleys."
"They aren't," Julius added, his eyes ignoring everyone else as he read through the reports at a blazing pace. "They are paltry in comparison and for them to charge such an exorbitant price is unbelievable. This was personally designed; the Britannian Council of Technological Advancement will get copies and various regulatory paperwork in the coming weeks."
"What makes yours so different?"
Julius almost preened at the question when he answered, full of confidence. "Aside from being able to do everything and more a Smartphone, Computer or a European's holographic display can do, you mean? It's rated for protection against unwanted filth, survives and functions after multiple sixty meter drops, water and other liquid protection for up to ten meters of water including pressure protection for up to three tons. Quick pressure, not sustained pressure. Observe."
The holograms turned off before Julius twirled it, attaching it to his collar. Two prongs unsheathed itself from the case as a much larger holographic projection appeared in front of him. A secondary screen followed up below the first and Juilus began to use it.
"You can interact with the holograms as you can see here. I have a keyboard function installed and I can use my finger to touch the screen above to select, move, or drag and drop wherever I want. The battery can last twelve to fourteen hours with extended use and a week or so under idle." Julius concluded, "This is worth the price of two thousand euros that those other devices are asking for."
"Computation power?"
"Mid to High-Range when you compare it to other consumer products. Certainly Low to Mid-Range compared to an enthusiast but I don't think anyone would be using it for advanced computation… or video games and simulations all that much."
"I'll see to it that your applications are taken seriously," The voice of Prince Schneizel appeared suddenly after his explanation. "Britannia has a need for competing products in such industries. I see the potential of such technology in our military use, don't you agree sister?"
Cornelia nodded, "It would make everyday life much easier, I know that much."
Just as Julius started to bow Schneizel stopped him, "Don't worry about me. Carry on with what you were doing. I have others to greet. Some members of the Chinese Federation are there in fact, including the EU."
Eventually most of the guests that had spoken with Julius departed while he looked into the files given to him. Lloyd and Cecile were the only ones left and that was in part to confirm that everything was there, and to answer any questions Juilus had about various subjects. While he would need a lot more time to look through it all, Julius was able to read through a large chuck. Although the next few files shocked him to his core.
"What?" Julius murmured, his tone slowly turning from shock to anger. "What is this?"
Luckily or unluckily, Rakshata and her group thought that was the best time to greet the three scientists/engineers.
"Lloyd?"
"You!" Julius' hiss was stopped by a hand from Lloyd. The sudden outburst threw everyone for a loop as Rakshata only raised her brow.
"Now now, Julius." The happy-go-lucky attitude of Lloyd's deadened into a more reserved tone.
"What's going on?"
Julius grit his teeth as he growled, "You finished it."
"What?"
"You completed your damn cybernetics!"
"Where did you get that-" Rakshata responded with a pointed look at Lloyd, "You gave it to him?"
"Tell me," Julius' eyes targeted her without blinking. A dark, empty look seemed to radiate him as he growled, "You finished a prototype. Why didn't you publish this?"
"I wasn't part of the research team anymore."
Lloyd's arms moved to stop Kingsley's fists from shaking at her, "That's not what I meant!"
"I couldn't," Rakshata defended, "The Federation wanted engineers. Since the introduction of the Glasgow, officials restricted the majority of educational research and development until someone could make a countermeasure for Britannia's knightmares. India felt a large strain when resources were being diverted and members of the cybernetics teams were reassigned."
"So you blame it on your government's administration?" Julius asked, a scornful look appeared on his face. "China's power over India is primarily military. They do not control India's administration in the public sector, nor can they command research teams, private research teams at their beck and call without kowtowing to the Chinese! You could have easily published before or after the fact."
Rakshata countered with equal fury. "It wasn't even completed at a stage that I liked, and it only works for amputated patients; Specific nerve endings and muscle fiber, full replacements only."
"You could have continued your work! It was the beginning of something that could revolutionize medical technology! In fact you could have just sold your research to me when I asked!"
"And allow my work to be misused? Turning over a profit or making them combat capable? Don't make me laugh Kingsley. You know as well as I that that technology can change a lot of things."
"Anything can be misused, any piece of technology, engineering, even ordinary tool used in daily life has the possibility of being used for any sort of reason." Julius rebuked. "That is a poor excuse. And you know it."
"Julius!"
"I didn't expect a woman of your caliber to be so entrenched by the small picture. So enamored by politics and war." Julius concluded, stomping to the other side of the room. "Nor did I expect you thought of me in such a way."
Julius' anger was so open and easy to see that no one wanted to bother him as he stewed in his emotions. Rakshata grit her teeth, turning to Lloyd as she spoke, "He's not going to forget this."
"No, I don't think so." He said with an interesting look on his face. "By how young Julius reacted, it seems that he was personally affected by your decision to transition from the medical field to defense technology."
"Why did you even give it to him?"
"Why?" Lloyd asked, offended but still with a maddening grin on his face. "I thought he deserved to know. Last I checked, you're not the one that can choose who gets to walk and who doesn't."
"That's not…" she paused. "That's what he's thinking right now isn't he?"
"Hole in one. You added salt to the wound when you actually used your prototypes on someone and kept quiet about it." Lloyd chuckled. "Who was it again?"
"Neha Shankar, one of my students." she muttered quietly, a hand rubbed the bridge between her nose. "I played favorites."
"Who do you think needed your research so much that got him wound up? A close friend, maybe family member?"
"The real question is; How far will he advance in our work and how far is he willing to go to get the result he wants?"
"Maybe all the way?" Guessed Lloyd. "He's gone this far just to prove you wrong, planning to humble every military in the world and already gave defense contractors a tongue lashing."
Rakshata pursed her lips, "...I messed up."
"That you did." Lloyd's grin grew an extra few centimeters.
"And you're my accomplice, Earl of pudding."
On the other side of the observation tower, Julius could do nothing aside from taking deep breaths. His eyes couldn't focus and he couldn't stop his fists from shaking. It took all of his mental power to keep from grabbing a vase and throwing it at a nearby wall, something he used to do quite often when he failed in his research, finding his own answers to the problems of Britannia's system and Eirene's condition. He wanted this event to be perfect and to go off without a hitch.
Julius needed to be calm and relaxed to keep going. He planned for the entire day, and he wanted to get it done so he could leave it all behind him and get to work on fixing Eirene as soon as possible! His other plans could wait.
"Are you alright?" The soft voice came from behind him, and Julius turned to greet a young woman with light purple hair and green eyes. He mentally shook himself before responding.
"Yes, I'll be fine Miss Clement. Thank you for asking."
Anna Clement moved back, surprised. "You know who I am?"
"Of course I do," Julius smoothly replied, his mask slowly being put back in position. He bowed in greeting before moving his hand up for a shake. "Miss Anna Clement, a prodigious scientist and engineer in the field of mechanical engineering. But we're getting ahead of ourselves; Julius Kingsley, a pleasure."
"Pleasure is all mine," Anna responded back. Julius moved to give the back of the lady's hand a kiss. Milly and Sayoko's etiquette training was a default he was using to quickly calm himself down. Using practiced motions to force his brain to focus.
"I've read a large number of your papers. I must say they are fascinating." Juilius started as both of them walked beside another in looking out to the field. The Gloucester was already set up front and center, although the machine still had a cover draped atop it. They continued their conversation since the Britannians weren't going to start yet.
"To be honest, I didn't think I'd be in anyone's attention." Anna admitted as she scrutinized the machine. "I thought all eyes were on you and the Britannians."
"Please, you sell yourself short." Julius started. "Your Alexander proof of concept is incredible."
"Really?" she gasped in surprise.
"Absolutely. When everyone was babbling on about what sixth generation this or sixth generation that; You already started on your vision of what a seventh generation knightmare should be. The Alexander from design proposals alone follow a completely different archetype than any Britannian model, and it's also a radical departure from standard European doctrine. How can I not be interested?"
"But why? My first models were stolen right after assembly before they could even be tested." Anna grumbled, "In fact the various changes that I proposed can't be tested without burning through more money for a prototype."
"I think they'd be stupid to ignore your Alexander outright." Julius smiled. "I mean the majority of Europe can be considered suburban or outright urban areas. Unlike the Glasgow or the Sutherland, you designed the Alexander to be usable in both suburban fields and urban environments."
"You saw it too!" Anna exclaimed with a grin. "Europe has a different battlefield compared to the zones that Britannia deployed their knightmares. The specialized method of movement for the Alexander allows them to be more formidable in tight spaces, let alone the various regional mountains and forests. The Alexander has a very small profile once gone to my proposed 'insect mode.'"
"And weaponry could be equipped and used in Insect mode. Alexanders would have the advantage over standard knightmares." Anna continued, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Julius raised a finger to counter, "Glasgows and Sutherlands would be an issue in other aspects however. To give your machine it's mobility and low profile, you traded armor and defensive capabilities. Alexanders don't even have slash-harkens and weaponry must be carried or pre-installed on external rails."
"Better to not get hit than be hit at all." Anna countered with a smirk.
"Using the boxing metaphor I see." Julius said, accepting the point. "How much did your Alexander weigh?"
Anna's smirk slowly transformed into a pained frown. "Six point seven-three metric tons."
"It's lighter than the Panzer-Hummel by two whole tons but a Glasgow's weight is around seven point three. You shaved a little over half a ton and the Glasgow is still more armored than your Alexander." Julius countered, "I can't see it being used for common devicers. Your knightmare is suited for smaller deployment or ace pilots, maybe special forces."
She sighed, agreeing with him. "I know. I wasn't given enough time or resources to fix those issues."
"Dare I ask if it has an ejection system installed?"
Anna gave a pained look as she crossed her arms. "'That'd add too much weight' the board would say. And I'd have to redesign the torso a bit to compensate."
"Which would take more time." Julius finished. "Still, your knightmare design is fascinating. With more time and more resources, I think you and the EU would have a suitable counter to Britannia's family of knightmares."
"What about you? Why haven't you included your own knightmare into the picture."
"They aren't knightmares." Julius deadpanned. It only earned widened eyes and a smile. Anna covered her mouth, giggling. "What is it?"
"You really believe that knightmares are wasted potential don't you? And yours are different."
Julius raised his brow, "Yes, yes I do. Let me ask you something from an engineer to another. What is a knightmare in its purest form? Function and capabilities only."
"Well if we go by defining knightmares as what they are," Anna paused, deciding to play along. "Knightmares are a high-tech mechanical vehicle or prosthesis."
"Indeed, a tool or vehicle like a knightmare could be repurposed for other uses. They can replace forklifts for instance as their specifications are rated to carry or pull cargo containers. They have powered arms to support in construction services and some are sealed tight enough to survive submerged underwater for long periods of time. With the right equipment they can also support fire fighting or be used in research where certain areas of the planet are too dangerous for mere humans." Julius explained. "And the EU considers a knightmare to legally be a weapon and they are heavily controlled and regulated as a result."
"Britannia simply doesn't allow the use of knightmares outside the military aside from police because of the cultural significance of knightmares." Anna added in mocking despair, "The problems with a society that considers one's social standing or class to be something important in this day and age."
"You understand one of my major problems with knightmares then."
Anna nodded in understanding with a smile. "Yes. I think I get why you hate the terminology more than the device itself. But if you consider your 'mechanized devices' to not be knightmares, what do you label them as?"
"They're-" Julius was interrupted by the sounds of blow horns and the ring of the intercom. The pair looked down much like the others to see the unveiling of the Gloucester. He turned to answer vaguely, "You'll find out when I reveal mine."
The Gloucester reveal wasn't much of a shock, it looked unassuming and a tad smaller than a Sutherland, but Julius couldn't be sure until they were lined up side by side. Nonetheless, the Gloucester didn't seem to depart from standard knightmare designs as far as Julius knew, the machine only looked more compact with a different set molding in the armor. The same slash-harkens on the chest area, the same landspinner propulsion system. It looked tame.
And it was tame. Julius raised a brow in confusion as the machine started to accelerate across the arena with its spear, twirling it around as it started to attack the dummies put up for field testing. His confusion grew when the machine turned and dove to another side of the space to simulate doding fire. The Gloucester stopped and a box-like protrusion on the cockpit's side unfolded itself to reveal a small set of missile launchers, unleashing a payload into a group of dummies hidden behind a mock building as cover. The Gloucester's forehead opened up to reveal a smaller, space efficient factsphere sensor relaying information back to the pilot.
Julius raised a hand, rubbing his temple; was he looking at this correctly? The words got caught in his throat when a squad of Glasgows and Sutherlands appeared in full garb spread out in the arena. The attendees watched what was essentially a copy of his own introduction plan; The Glasgows fired their rifles and bazookas as the Sutherlands rushed forward, stun tonfas at the ready, forcing the Gloucester to dodge and weave through the fire. It was less of a showcase of the machine and more of the pilot with a machine since nothing seemed to hit the Gloucester as it spun around the first Sutherland and skewered the second one. Overall, the Gloucester made quick work on its opponents before it spun in a dramatic fashion and bowed to the crowd that watched.
"The new face of the Knightmare! The Gloucester is a platform that outshines the Glasgow and the Sutherland by miles wide! New and improved factsphere sensor that relays information faster and more reliably than the old models. Increased performance for up to a total of 40% which when it includes it's newly made and redesigned armor composition allows it to be twice as fast as its predecessors while being only heavier by a quarter ton!" The voice of Arthur Goodman, general of Britannia and head of the Gloucester development team roared throughout the tower.
"W-what?"
General Goodman sauntered across the floor as if he owned the stage and spoke with a smug smile, "What do you think? Truly it is the epitome of a Knightmare! Fast, strong, good armor and has the capability to install various equipment on its hardpoints on the sides of the cockpit!"
"It performs quite elegantly," noted an EU general named Romero Barclay, who came as a substitute for General Smilas, clapping his hands together as others in the room followed suit.
Other EU guests hummed to themselves without saying a word and the Chinese officials looked almost catatonic in apprehension. Li Xinke beside the eunuch only seemed interested in the machine but it didn't surprise him. Most of the Britannians kept to themselves as they nodded in agreement while Schneizel looked positively bored as he eyed Earl Asplund.
Rakshata scoffed only to shrug at how dramatic he acted. She felt an elbow hit her side as Lloyd sauntered up to whisper in her ear. "Doesn't that look remind you of something Rakshata?"
Sure enough Rakshata moved to see what he saw and had to do a double take at it. She raised her brow in response. "He's completely disinterested now. That's the face of shock coupled with boredom."
"He just doesn't care anymore~"
"Are you sure you're an only child?" Rakshata had to ask when she saw that face and the response was only a giggle and a shake of the head.
"I lost so much sleep for this?" Julius' words were quiet but those in close proximity to him could hear plain as day.
Anna turned to greet the face of a struggling businessman and asked, "Julius? Is something wrong?"
"Yes, Mr. Kingsley!" General Goodman shouted, earning the attention of everyone inside. "How does it look? The sight of a true 6th generation that can outperform any competition and furthermore empowers a devicer to their greatest potential?!"
The guests waited for him to respond and for a while and what felt like whole hours Julius simply stood there with an unreadable expression on his face. His only eye flew from one person to the next as he tried to speak. "A...a… Wha-"
"So, you are speechless!" Goodman saw Julius' response as a concession and he readily attacked. "The arrogance of a mere boy that tried to play with the expertise of nations! Go back to your hole and your pathetic project of numbers integration and leave the rest of the world to the adults!"
Instead, Julius' next words threw them all into a loop, his voice filled with a dark vitriol, "WHAT KIND OF PIECE OF TRASH IS THAT?!"
His response was so sudden, so utterly out of the blue that most of the guests jumped, spilling their glasses.
"What?" Goodman uttered softly, his thoughts followed along the lines of the others. Lloyd cracked up in thunderous laughter, smacking his fist on a nearby table as if he was in on the joke. No one said a word, watching the young teenager seem to deflate like a hot air balloon, moving like a zombie to a nearby seat only to crash onto it with his head facing the ceiling.
"That's your so-called Gloucester?" Julius asked no one in particular. His tone, completely devoid of the previous excitement or anger. "That's... It? I wasted hundreds of hours of sleep for this?"
"What do you mean! The engineering corp utilized and kept the best features of the previous generation and enhanced them to the extreme! The Glou-"
"Oh stop with your marketing," Julius groaned, waving it off with the back of his hand. He turned to see the sight of a quiet, contemplating Anna Clement as he asked, "Should we go back to speaking about your Alexander or something? Actually, what do you think about the proposal of a mass driver made by Professor O'Neill?"
"What is he, a fool expecting cheap gimmicks?" Marrybell whispered to her sister as they watched him ignore General Goodman at every moment.
Cornelia rubbed her brow when Lloyd's laughter grew ever more raucous. The engineers and scientists looked as if they were having the time of their lives, talking animatedly and joking around. It got to the point that they all started to congregate around each other, united by the perceived performance of Gloucester, or lack thereof. Even Rakshata and Julius' spat from earlier were either ignored or put to the side to join in the revelry. She answered aloud, "It's a proven design upgraded to a modern battlefield, the last thing the military needs is some ridiculous white elephant."
"Oy, oy. I'm talking here!" Eventually Goodman couldn't take the disrespect anymore shared by the various Britannian officials under his command. The sight of that brat talking enthusiastically with that EU upstart who created the Alexander grated his nerves. While he and many others would have endured and ignored the slander towards them if it was only the Kingsley brat; they could see those Eleven employees of his try and fail to cover their giggles over the consoles.
The sight of a dozen or so angered Britannians made the operators go stiff and silent. Futaba cleared her throat, motioning Hinata to walk up to their boss.
"Mr. Kingley…" Julius stopped their conversation to lend her an ear. "What's the plan?"
"I don't care," he sighed, "Just get unit model one or something, that's good enough for the crowd if that thing makes people excited."
"Ahh, sir. The Operating System?"
Julius snapped his fingers, chastising himself for forgetting. "Ahh, that's right. I forgot about that. Thank you, Hinata."
That done he walked over to the pelican case pile and reached into one, bringing out a hard drive of some sort the size of his palm. Julius turned to motion for one of his security to come forward.
"Alright, go and install this on Unit One and we're good."
"What about the pilot?"
"What about the pilot?" he repeated, raising a brow. "Just get anyone with a rating of 70% or higher on the simulations and get them to pilot her. Don't need to waste our time and go all out."
"Of course sir." The sheer dismissive nature emitting from Julius was a complete change to how he was hours and days prior. He looked like he just wanted to get it over with. Was he so unconcerned about his machine quarrying up against the Gloucester? Was it purely a feint? Many didn't think so.
Of course it could all be an act. Surely Julius was just making the image of his real machine being the greatest thing since gunpowder and the so called 'Model One' wasn't the final version. There were many that wanted to call his bluff.
One such man was General Goodman. "You think your knightmare-"
"It's not a knightmare," Julius said, stressing with a deep inflection. Still Goodman paid no mind, even scoffing at his attempt to correct him.
"A Knightmare is a weapon of war, and nothing else." Goodman said with finality. "This was a live demonstration of the future of war. A revitalization of the old era; Of Honour, of Chivalry, Magnanimity and of the Nobility of the soul."
"Pffft-" They watched Julius violently cover his mouth but failed to stop the coming laughter. "You cannot be serious…"
"What?"
"No, no. I fear if we get into this discussion it would be far too out of place." Julius paused, waving his hand in refusal to continue this thought. "Back on topic, I will remind and keep reminding anyone that my units are not knightmares. They are Mobile Suits."
He waited a moment for the words to sink in. His terminology was a clear departure and distinction to 'Knightmares.' The other members in the room furrowed their brows, moving their lips to silently to get a feel for it.
"Mobile Suits?" Prince Scheizel said to himself, curious and with keen interest.
"A pilot or in this case, a knight does not need a horse to be a knight. Furthermore, mechanical suits are not steeds for pilots to use. They are exactly named; Mechanized Suits which are mobile, a combination of the terms Mobile Infantry and Powered suits of armor. They are tools like anything else." Julius explained, "For if you truly believed knights are warriors that embody the ideals of Chivalry and other such codes of conduct, we cannot simply consider anyone that pilots a suit be a knight."
"Wha-," Darlton started, "All devicers in Britannia must be knights, to differentiate regular pilots and knights is an act of denotation. Those are just semantics!"
"Then that-" A rough shake coming from the floor interrupted Julius' response. He raised a brow in confusion when it stopped and waited. A second shake followed the first, stronger, rougher and actually had many slip and fall to the ground. "What the?"
"Your Highness!" Guilford called out in concern as Cornelia gripped the back of a nearby seat for stability. The knights and guards of their various dignitaries quickly surrounded their charges as the rumbling continued. Lights hanging off the ceiling shook violently each time it continued.
Cornelia turned to one of her knights and called out. "Contact the security team!"
"Futaba!" Julius did the same to one of his operators. It earned the shake of head filled with a concerned look.
"No good! Radio waves are being jammed!"
"Change frequencies! Switch to pulse compression if you have to."
"Switching to pulse compression… No good." Minase rattled off, already ahead of him. "It's a wide range, likely dedicated ECM vehicle!"
"Darlton?" Schneizel asked with a mask of calm.
But he shook his head tapping his earpiece. "We're getting static, Your highness."
"Do we have a feed to the outside?" Again he indicated no when Cornelia asked, while her sister smashed her fist onto a table in anger.
"The work of terrorists!" Marrybel snarled.
All guards with weapons in hand zeroed in when the doors slammed open, revealing a Britannian soldier panting as he kneeled to the royals.
"Your Highness! The Gloucester's been stolen!"
"What?!"
Goodman didn't get the chance to respond as Princess Cornelia forced herself in. "What's the situation, soldier?"
"The holding areas for the Gloucester have been overrun, no markings, well equipped. They have knightmare support, older gen Glasgows so far."
A crash rocketed behind them and with some of their nerves frayed, they turned to see the image of Kingsley scraping a steel panel out of the wall. A knife of some sort was lodged in between panels as he spoke. "Diethard! Give me that camera."
He flashed a look of realization on his face as he ran over to help with a grin. With the help of his assistant he dragged their various equipment to the wall as Kingsley continued, "We're going to use your landlines and piggyback it with your broadcast truck."
"I have a signal repeater, Mr. Kingsley!" Hinata called out as she ran to him with the device in hand. He nodded while stripping a wire with his knife. The device was quickly latched onto the cables after some DIY work and they were about to turn it on. Julius motioned for his operators to their stations as he commanded.
"Good, change the switches on our transceiver and squeeze as much power as we can." He said quickly, "Jamming countermeasures 101, nothing wrong with putting more juice into it."
The scene was not lost to many of them. The Britannians tried everything to attain a grasp of the situation by sending some of their guards down for support and to get a better position to contact reinforcements. The Chinese did the same but with more complaining from the Eunuch who showed up to be the host. The royal princesses meanwhile argued over going to help with the fighting themselves, while Schneizel and the knights wanted them to stay for their safety. The European guests were much the same however; knowing they brought little escort with them stayed to further secure the area.
The entire tower itself from top to bottom became a large fortification in a matter of minutes, and by then Julius had finished with his changes to his setup. The cracks in the radio were clear to them as a slew of voices collapsed into one another.
"This is Echo Four, we have heavy resistance on the grounds!"
"Echo Three is down! We need reinforcements in warehouse two!"
"Echo Five, We're losing ground! Enemy forces have Anti-Armor capabilities!"
Julius quickly smacked a wireless microphone on his ear and called out, "This is CIC Monarch, All units sitrep!" The sudden clarity of their communications brought a more controlled amount of chaos compared to the bedlam from before.
"This is Echo Six, we've encountered Gun-rus and Glasgows!"
"Echo Two here, can you read us? Warehouse four is clear!"
"Echo Six, fall back and regroup on Echo Nine to reinforce Echo Four. We're not equipped with AMS weaponry. Echo Two moves to secure warehouse three. Echo one, secure the tower; Seven and Eight reinforce Five."
"Roger."
"Echo Six, Disengaging."
"We'll hold em off."
"Futaba, you're in charge of the infantry comms," Julius added, looking at the operator.
She quickly nodded. "Right!"
"Minase, contact the Prydwen." Julius finished, looking at the other two technicians. "Hinata, clear up the connection, I want to see what they see."
"Got it. Switching to video feed."
Julius bit his lip as the situation unfolded in front of him. It wasn't looking good as indicated by the dozens of camera feeds streaming to his demonstration CIC. His security was being outmanned and outgunned by masked terrorists with no obvious markings or designations. Their choice of weaponry was random, all over the place sprinkled with a combination of Glasgows and Gun-rus. Without a doubt they were skilled with some sort of backing, but what?
The building shook again thanks to a heavy bazooka round from a Glasgow hitting a nearby wall by one of his guards. What was the angle? It was publicised that this event would host dignitaries of every national faction filled with a slew of VIPs, and yet why wasn't there a veritable army after them? Why simply go after the holding areas and low value targets?
Any terrorist with the balls, skill, backing and men would go right after the VIPs; The loss of Britannia's goddess of victory would create a vacuum of power in the world battlefield. It would be ample breathing room for the EU, China, let alone the MEF and what was left of Africa to reorganize and regroup for future invasions. The loss of Marrybell would do the same for any national administrations and internal resistances in the Areas still in conflict. And Schneizel; oh the loss of Britannia's Prime Minister, practically Britannia's Emperor all in but name, would send the Empire and its colonies into utter bedlam.
There was something completely wrong with this picture. If this was the main objective, where was the distraction? And if this was the distraction, what was the objective? What was it that that soldier said to the Britannians before? They were able to overrun the security crew that was in charge of the Glouce-
"No…" Julius gasped; that couldn't have been that could it? "Hinata! Get Echo One-Five on screen!"
She shook her head, pressing commands rapidly. "Nothing sir! I don't have his vitals!"
"Damn it!" Julius cursed. They were never the target, or if they were, they weren't primary. "I need any available units to secure hangar three! They're after-"
"This is Echo Two, we found One-three KIA. Data storage was taken."
"Grenade!"
"This is Echo Two! Contact! Contact! Path to hangar three is barred by men and two IFV, need reinforcements!"
"Units Six, Nine and Four, fall back and defend warehouse four! Unit Five support Two; Seven and Eight flank hanger three! They're after our Mobile Suits!"
Julius paced along the room with a scowl on his face. If these terrorists and thieves had knightmare backup, they must have bribed or neutralized a number of guards who were charged with protecting this event, let alone the city. Reinforcements from the Chinese or Britannian militaries would take hours to get here and by then, they'd be dead.
"Minase!"
"I'm getting something, it's faint, but we have audio!"
"Good!" Julius breathed a small sigh. "Prydwen! This is CIC Monarch, can you hear me?"
The voice of Jeremiah rang out clearly, "This is Prydwen! Sir, you're alright!"
"What's the situation out there?"
"Not good! There are fires and explosions all over the city and a number of the guards went turncoat, attacking their allies!"
"I want a full observation and transmission network launched!" He commanded. "Is Zhejiang there?"
"Yes, I'm here."
"Good, prep the suits for urban combat!"
A chinese official protested, shoving past Xinke, "Wait! You have no authority to launch!"
"Do you want to die?! The closest military force by either the Chinese Federation or the Britannian military is too far away to help." Julius paused, looking at his fellow guests. "We all know this; thus, I would like to think this as it's easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission, considering the situation."
"This is true." Darlton added, "These curs attacked with such detail and great lengths would no doubt lengthen the time for a relief force."
"And Sri Lanka is under joint administration." Prince Schneizel concluded. "Yes, as prime minister I do hold authority over the Britannian side of the territory. Mr. Kingsley, buy us time."
"Sir!" Xinke quickly pressed his superior, who frowned with shaken fists as he thought it over. Eventually he relented with a nod of the head.
"Zhejiang!"
"An hour if we hasten the fittings!"
"Make it half!"
"...Roger!"
"Connection with observation drones established, Signal strong!" Minase called out, fingers blazing over her keyboard. "Linking to CIC."
The holograms split apart to reveal an overhead map of the city. The sight of the greater scope brought silence to the room. Fires raged throughout the city from skyscrapers and fields burning, smoke rising into the clouds as sirens rang in melody with the gunfire and explosions. Buildings, vehicles, public transit and civilian centers were in their crosshairs; Nothing was spared for dozens of Gun-ru speeding across the roads in tandem with Glasgows and Sutherlands, blasting everything around them. Screams of remaining protective force echoed across the airwaves while a drone passed the image of a dagger-like object pierce through the cockpit of a defending Sutherland, blood and oil leaking past the screeching metal. The destroyed mech was pushed out of the way to reveal a pure white and red knightmare, different and sleeker than conventional kinds.
"My god…" Anna Clement gasped. "The Alexanders!"
"We need to get out there and stop these terrorists!" Marrybell urged, pushing past her guards. "Brother, you cannot just-"
"Sister, we have no knightmares to combat-"
"We do Schneizel," Cornelia interrupted, "Or rather, Kingsley! How many of these mobile suits do you have stored?"
Julius balked. "I can't simply just hand you my-"
"How. Many?" Cornelia growled.
Julius hesitated with gritted teeth, "They aren't equipped with any weapons, and their power supply is at best half full! My SSD only works on one-"
"Units are activating!"
"What?!"
The room's occupants (and through Diethard's broadcasting station the whole world) numbly watched the first of Kingsley's mobile suits rise from the ground; The second followed, along with the third and finally the fourth.
Thousands of kilometers away in the territory of Area Eleven, one of the four holy swords jumped from his seat.
"Urabe?" Ryoga Senba asked. What he got in response was the trembling finger pointing at the screen. The others followed suit, widening their eyes. The entirety of the JLF watching the event were filled with mixed reactions. Many shouted in offence as others joined them, the high command of the JLF turning into a bed of chaos.
Toudoh ignored all those around them to scrutinize the machines after a moment breathing deeply, "Samurai."
The four machines were incredibly similar, denoting how they derived from the same core principles. Each had their own quirks, with one being substantially more armored than the rest while one had larger wing-like binders on their back. But what took all of their attention was how human they looked. No more was there a factsphere sensor or a hulking cockpit behind the machines. Their heads had the face of a human with two glowing eyes under a helm that the japanese resistance instantly recognized as kabutos. The cameras from the drones zoomed in to see the symbolic datemono on the helm's forehead attached to the designed maedate. The etching on their head crests clearly displayed their names.
.
.
.
Zephyranthes
Physalis
Stamen
Gerbera
.
.
.
Julius smashed his fist on a table in frustration. Of course the hijackers would have some sort of engineers and technicians with them to bypass his security. It seemed that he'd need to increase his defenses if there was a future. His arm was roughly grabbed and was forced to meet face to face with Princess Cornelia's commanding scowl.
"Is this all of them?"
Cornelia was pushed out of the way for Julius to rub the bridge of his nose. She glared, waiting for him while he reached into his breast pocket, pulling out two palm sized pads, one red the other blue.
"Hanger Two, west wing." Julius explained, passing the objects to Cornelia. She inspected it a second before handing one to her sister. "Master Keys."
"Oldrin!"
She nodded to follow. "Right!"
"Princess!"
"Guilford, don't treat me as though I'm another one of your women." Cornelia smirked while she passed by key in hand. The guards who came with both princesses escorted them out. "Connect our comms to Kingsley's set up."
"Of course." Darlton acknowledged. The group of six rushed out of the tower leaving the rest of the observation party to themselves.
Julius sighed heavily and turned to one of his operators. "I want any available units to support the Britannian princesses and KDP to always be on visual."
"Got it!"
"On screen!"
"Prydwen is reducing distance to one klick from the coast. Crash nets are ready."
The envoys of the three superpowers, General Barclay, Prince Schneizel and High Euanch Gao Hai congregated around Julius while he lost himself in thought. The images of these 'mobile suits' performances were incredible to such a state that defied expectations. It made fifth generation Knightmares and the previous performance of the Gloucester look like a child's frolicking.
"What are these mobile suits of yours Kingsley?" Barclay asked, motioning forward with a low rumble in his voice. "Are you going to keep up the secrecy now?"
"And what are these last two units that you have given to the princesses?"
"Yes, now that my sisters can no longer contain themselves in sitting back for recuse, they decided to be the rescuers."
"My Lord." Kanon refuted, "The Princesses were never the sort to wait for a knight in shining armor."
"True. It'd be best if you could inform us of everything." Schneizel alluded.
"As a subject of the crown, we could easily be ordered, Julius." Diethard quickly elbowed the younger man from his ruminations.
Said target of the discussion sighed, looking at the displays in front of him before he pressed a few commands into his earpiece. The airwaves were open to allow the Britannians far away from them to hear.
Julius turned to explain, "The KNIGHT Development Project was based upon the mythos of a knight itself. What is a knightmare? Is it a 'Knight's mare' as many Britannians consider it to be? Or is it simply a bipedal tank and is considered as such by Europa United? Or is it more?"
"Explain."
Julius answered. "The purpose of the KDP was crystalizing a one to one image of pilot and mobile suit. If a human can contort their bodies to suit their needs of survival such as acrobatics, splits, quick movements of dodging and attacking and so forth; The KNIGHT should enhance these capabilities, not deter them. A knightmare is not a mount, because it should be the knight's very armor that is being sent into battle."
"So that was the plan for these four?" Marrybell quickly asked through the comms.
"It was originally just one. Unit 0; but she was a complete failure." He pressed a button for the visual of the unit in question to appear on screen. "Blossom; Or aptly named after the Genus, Prunus, or Sakura Blossom. These hijackers will not be able to use her, I assure you."
"But they have the others." Schneizel countered.
"Specifically, they can't use her without going up in flames or dying in an explosion." Julius clarified with morbid humor. He switched the feed to show the other units being manhandled by the terrorists and continued. "I might as well explain everything considering if the princesses will want to get into the front lines, they should know what they're dealing with."
"Please do." Barclay invited.
"You can consider the Blossom as the ancestor to the lineage of my KDP. I stuffed as many interesting or noteworthy innovations in technology, metallurgy and sheer gimmicks on her that it made the overall operation highly unstable. After All; I wanted to advocate the use of knightmares outside of warfare and and I also wanted to utilize any newly invented technology for the public sector." He paused. "But they do share a few things in common."
They watched unit Zephyranthes twirl around three enemy Gun-Rus before the machine reached up for a tube-like protrusion on its back. A glowing thin beam emerged from the device and the machine swung, cleaving the trio of Gun-Rus in half before they exploded. Engines rocketed out of the machine's back as it accelerated to another section of the city.
"You created Direct Energy Weapons!" Lloyd laughed with enjoyment. The others followed in differing opinions. Schneizel motioned for Julius to continue.
"A common 'gimmick' of the KDP line. They are plasma blades specifically made for direct melee combat. It was in the early stages but the length and width of the blade can vary depending on the configuration of the hilt and power output. With the energy gauge on units One to Four… about three minutes tops."
The camera tracked a Britannian militia Sutherland fire its machine gun, trailing at Zephyranthes before the machine used the side of a large building as a footstep. Zephyranthes then jumped and with a gymnastic flip landed behind the Sutherland, pointing the hilt of the plasma blade only to ignite it past the cockpit and through the head. With the twist of its hand rotors, the pilot severed the rifle from its arm before grabbing it themselves to fire at an approaching Gun-Ru.
"Unit One: Zephyranthes is the one with the least amount of gimmicks. One of the few advantages that allowed me to tailor the 'optimal' as they say; complex actuators that allow a full range of motions to emulate human flexibility, insulated armor and frame that allows use in cold weather, jungle and such forth, capable of being in use in a vacuum and installed with a 'Core Block System', my attempt of a new ejection system."
The second feed showed a much larger and bulker suit trudging along a hailstorm of fire coming from various knightmares, yet nothing seemed to leave a dent on its massive tower shield. The machine's shoulder binders quickly flared up as a flare sparked gigantic engines, surging towards the wall of Sutherlands and Glasgows. A screech of metal rang through the feed while the machine crushed the defenses with its shield, boot or plasma sword respectively.
"Unit Two; Physalis is as you expected a call back to the 'wall of iron' in the days of yore. Heavily armored and thankfully not heavily armed as she was initially designed to work in tandem with Zephyranthes. Unlike initial appearances, Physalis is highly maneuverable and contains a good amount of thrusters for both quick acceleration and braking."
"Does it use liquid fuel or electric engines?" Lloyd probed without taking his eyes off the screen.
"The latter." The engineer hummed as he responded.
Lines of knightmares exploding after quick shots from a stolen rifle showed the third machine, dashing through the city as if it were an obstacle course. Images or flashes of grey and white were the first and last signs of the machine's engines while it zipped between alleyways, roads and rooftops of the city before a rifle crack vibrated through the air long after the explosion of a defending knightmare. The terrorist had the gall to dance around pairs of Glasgows before it spun to cut them in twain.
"Unit Three; Stamen," Julius sighed. "Dendrobium Stamen encompasses the quintessential 'hit-and-run' or 'shock and awe' tactic. Unparalleled mobility and maneuverability thanks to the excessive number of engines on her to allow the ability to use any battlefield as a 'free-running' course."
General Barclay asked, "And the last?"
Julius only pointed with a scowl. The feed gave them a view of Unit Four stretching it's backpack to raise engines. Thick plumes of air vapor coalesced under the machine before it ascended to the sky. The majority of the room stood still.
"Gerbera. Air Superiority," finished Julius. "Fuck."
Instantly Julius was met with a cacophony of shouts coming from the Britannian engineering corp and European officers. Dozens of questions of 'how much does it weigh' or 'what's it payload' or some such bled into one ear and out the other before a grave voice came out of the comms.
A crack pulsed out of Julius' earpiece as Cornelia ordered, "Kingsley, what are the units that we're getting on?"
"Indeed. You've explained the stolen mobile suits, but what are these two units that could potentially be the coffins of my dear sisters?" Schneizel's question of concern felt more like a deadly threat to Julius despite the calm but interested face he sported.
"I originally wanted to name them after Alexander the Great and his epic but the EU had already introduced the Alexander Knightmare. " He nodded to the EU entourage. "KT units one and two, Achilles and Hector. Majority of the differences are simply a paint job and a few tweaks in their performance."
"Weapons?" asked Marrybell.
"They're loaded with paint rounds for heaven's sake." He paused, noticing he'd been getting used to rubbing his head when things aggravated him. "Get to the Prydwen and since nothing is going to stop you from doing what your duties entails; they'll resupply you."
0000
"If they're anything like those stolen four, we might be able to turn the tide." Marrybell commented as they rushed past the bloodied hallways towards their destination.
The road to hanger two lacked too many complications. There had been small pockets of insurgents but after commandeering weapons from fallen guards they had been dispatched easily. Oldrin noted the disparity between pilots who announced themselves with explosions and the ground troops that they had encountered.
"A diversion maybe?" Darton wondered aloud which earned a nod from Cornelia.
"That's likely; this was planned but it doesn't seem to have the sheer skill that is normally seen in wetworks."
Oldrin peeked out of a doorway, speaking. "Then could they be some sort of regional cell? Peace Mark?"
"Peace Mark. Has to be." Marrybell concluded. "No organization other than the superpowers would have a skilled central group to attack the holdings of the mobile suits. They are also the only ones that would have any lingering engineers and technicians that could bypass any electronic defenses of the Gloucester, let alone whatever security Kingsley had."
"Clear," Guilford remarked from another room with Leonhardt beside him. They quickly made it to the edge of the hanger. A pile of guards in black armor that denoted them as Kingsley's men signaled them to go in without issue.
Cornelia raised a brow at her surroundings, "Odd."
"Princess?"
"I expected a more bloody welcome." She admitted which earned a smirk from her sister.
"Did you think this was a TV show we've watched on our off time?" Marrybell chuckled. "Reality won't give us such a cliche. I'd have liked to take out a few traitors that allowed this to happen."
She agreed darkly. "As do I."
Marrybell pulled out the master key Kingley handed them. She flipped it around before finding a button at the top and pressing it. A machine on the left lying on its back hissed to open a hatch on its chest. Cornelia did the same and they pushed themselves to get in.
Cornelia spoke to her guards before closing the hatch. "Guilford, Darlton. Take care of the ground forces."
"Of course, princess"
"Oldrin, Leonhardt. You know what to do" Marrybell added.
"Right."
"You got it."
When the hatch closed and Cornelia positioned herself on her seat, a soft light illuminated the cockpit while a section at the center console opened for a slot. She quickly attached the key and waited for the machine to boot up; a slight whining noise reverberated into her ears for a few seconds before the screen in front of her to light up, almost blindingly in this darkness.
MASTER KEY RECOGNIZED
SAFETY PROCEDURES ENGAGED
STARTING UP
This was an interesting beginning, Cornelia thought. Kingsley's machine was radically different from what she was used to and it showed; unlike the standard segmented screens the Glasgows or the Sutherlands had, this machine was equipped with an all encompassing panoramic display. She turned to notice the overall shape of its cockpit was oval in shape and the screen would give her (at her guess) 100 degrees or so horizontal vision and a perfect 90 or 180 degree vertical sight. Near exactly or more than a human's perspective range.
"Incredible," She murmured. There was more to that than the display; She could feel the minute vibrations of the seat as it glided along. Was the entire cockpit inside a gimbal to mitigate shaking and increase stability during use?
Her thoughts were interrupted when her seat reoriented itself into a laid down position, more akin to modern fighter jets as she rested her hands on the two control sticks. She ran her fingers over the various buttons on her controls, noting various other buttons on the armrest sides and the center console between her legs.
The cockpit was a snug but comfortable fit once the seat moved into position and the hatch locked into place. A compromise to prevent bloating the machine's size, she concluded.
A pull of the right control rod followed by the pressing of a few buttons on the left brought her machine up into standing position. Cornelia's left display showed Marrybell joining her. Her center console lighted up with an all encompassing map of the battlefield, foremost among the symbols showing the location of the Prydwen.
"First thing we need to do is get supplied." She concluded which her sister followed up.
"But how?"
"Your suits have something else that replaces a standard landspinner propulsion system. The O.S. is on testing mode so just operate it like a Glasgow and ignore the sea." The comms from the tower rang to answer their question.
Marrybell radioed out, "Are you telling us these are submersible?"
The voice from the Comms, one of those operator women Cornelia guessed answered. "To a certain extent but that's not the point."
"Let's get supplied before anything else, then."
"Rendezvous point sent to your map."
Both princesses controlled their machines to leave the hanger without much issue, rocketing off the pavement the moment they cleared it. The abrupt acceleration was powerful compared to what they were used to; control over a larger number of thrusters would rely heavily on their piloting skills to not destabilize or crash. The display blinked an indicator of being in 'hover mode' to let them know they weren't simply sliding on the ground.
That was how they were going to get to the carrier. Both princesses ignored the old limits of the coast and used the water as if it were just like regular ground, weaving gracefully as they learned how to operate the Mobile Suits. The machines essentially surfed though the waves, leaving a spray of seawater in their wakes until they were greeted by the Prydwen on screen.
True to Julius' claim the Prydwen no longer looked anything like a Kuznetsov as all of the original design cues were completely removed. The flight deck and jump angle were both flattened and slipped apart into a total of four launchers. Two faced the stern and the other half to the bow, while the majority of the deck center was encompassed with armor. Weapons dotted the ship in overarching triple-barreled and dual-barreled turret emplacements, CIWS and missile launchers. A center tower was built that acted as the bridge, followed by a slew of sensor masts that pulsed standardized lights for a guide. Cornelia slowly throttled down her machine's output as she hit the crash net. It was hard enough to jerk her forward, but still much softer than a carrier landing had any right to be. A second thump announced Merrybell's own rougher stop.
"Princess!" A loud voice called out from the hanger she landed in. A man she recognized as Jeremiah Gottwald was on a catwalk on the upper levels, holding a radio in his hands as he continued. "Follow the prompts on the screen!"
She obeyed his directions, pressing in the various buttons to allow a mechanical lock to attach itself to the machine's body. After a creaking jolt it moved to carry her to an open slot along the wall.
The front hatch opened to reveal Jeremiah's head poking in. "Princess, please come out. It will take some time for the Achilles and Hector to be rearmed."
"No simulations for me to understand the Achilles?" She asked, climbing out of the machine to greet her sister at the catwalk.
Marrybell nodded in agreement. "For what purpose would you be telling us to get out?"
"Please, this way," Jeremiah motioned for them to follow a corridor with a room on the other side. "Please change into a pilot suit. There's various sizes and please take the helmets with you." Jeremiah continued before either princess could refute him. "There's a connector on the backs of the suits that contain a bevy of functions I don't have time to explain, but I will tell you that the suits have a hard lock for the safety of the pilots using them without one."
Looking as though they wouldn't be allowed to sortie without changing, the two women walked in to change in privacy. Cornelia raised a brow and frowned when she was greeted with what seemed to be a leotard.
"I cannot stand these things." She complained. "Only thing good with these are for the recruitment poster boards."
Marrybell chuckled good naturedly, "Well, we are the only ones that militarized knightmares en mass. The uniforms of Britannia are quite possibly the only standard for devicers and we're the only nation that aggressively allows women on the battlefield regardless of situation." she then brought up the suit in question and hummed. "You have to give them credit; At least this is less risque compared to Britannian uniforms."
They had to admit, at least Kingsley's team weren't juvenile when they made the thing. Britannian pilot uniforms were too indecent and suggestive in Cornelia's opinion. As princess of the realm she could do whatever the hell she wanted, so she had always refused to wear a suit whenever she went off to battle. Whoever created the Britannian garb didn't care and nearly half of the female soldiers who joined were at best, uncomfortable with them. They were made with the idea of recruitment posters and marketing in mind.
The suit she and Marrybell started to change into were very much the same, albeit with major differences. The one piece fitting was skintight that didn't need buttons or zippers. It didn't show any skin outside of the hands and anything above the neck, essentially a catsuit with a different color along the legs that gave the first impression of a leotard. Cornelia almost growled at the audacity of sexualizing her and Marrybell, until she noticed there was actually a crotch pad and chestplate when she looked at herself.
"Is this… armor?" Marrybell asked, pulling up an object which distinctively looked like a hip guard, resembling a medieval era fittings that could wrap around their thighs.
"Seems so." Cornelia noted. When they finished, the two carried these slightly bulky helmets in their arms. Once outside, they noticed a rack of 20mm round magazines being loaded into the heads of their two suits. Jeremiah bowed to them as they got closer.
"Princess, please get inside. There are simulations activated that will let you acclimate to Achilles and Hector." he paused, pointing at his earpiece as he continued, "I'll explain as best as I can along the way."
Cornelia accepted the compromise and reentered the cockpit, noticing a hole at the center of the seat. Was it there before or was it recent? She didn't know.
"Apologies if you seem uncomfortable but it was the only way to create a pilot suit that facilitated important needs."
"Such as?"
"The suit had to be of a material that was elastic but tight while thick enough to help stabilize body temperatures and it doubles as monitoring equipment for medical purposes." Jeremiah answered while Cornelia leaned back, only to hear a slight click behind her. "The chestplate and various armor serves two purposes. One, to protect you from any unforeseen impacts and small arms fire in case you get on the ground. The other is a protrusion at the center of your back. It's our answer to mitigating impact and sudden changes in forces when piloting. A sort of advanced seatbelt."
"Better than mere straps on a Sutherland," Marrybell added. "Or none at all in a Glasgow."
"The seat belt also serves as an unlocker for the suit's limiter. The entire configuration is meant to protect you from high levels of g-forces during combat. I implore you to use the helmet, it's a quality of life improvement."
Cornelia's display screen brightened as the cameras displayed images of the hanger being moved. Her machine was stationed on rails moving towards one of the catapults, with the few simulations giving her a small amount of time to understand this new machine's controls. It was only a couple minutes but Cornelia was a quick study. She wasn't called Britannia's 'goddess of victory' for nothing.
"This is Prydwen. You'll be equipped with an FA package and a F-Assist." The operator called out from the speakers. A great hum of the machine grew, and she felt the cockpit warm up for some odd reason as panels along the sides of the catapult opened. Those revealed mechanical arms sprouting out, holding various armor pieces and weapons. Her eyes glued to the mechanisms before a beep rang from the center console. Lines of various text played along the display.
PILOT SUIT INSTALLED
PILOT STATUS: NORMAL
ENERGY STATUS: 100%
ENGAGING INTO NORMAL MODE
WEAPONS CHECK
PLASMA SABER x2 GREEN
ARMOR SCHNEIDER x2 GREEN
20mm VULCAN CIWS x2 GREEN
50mm GATLING CANNON x2 GREEN
FULL ARMOR SYSTEM INSTALLED
X6 ROCKET LAUNCHER x1 GREEN
'DURANDANA' PROTOTYPE RAIL-CANNON x1 GREEN
'PHOEBUS' PROTOTYPE LASER RIFLE x1 GREEN
'DIATREKHON' PROTOTYPE PLASMA LANCE x1 GREEN
SHIELD GREEN
FLIGHT ASSISTANCE INSTALLED
FLIGHT SYSTEM: GREEN
ACTIVATING OPERATING SYSTEM
KINETIC
NEURAL
INTERFACED
GENERAL
HARMONIC
TACTICAL system
KT01 - KNIGHT - ACHILLES ACTIVE
"It seems that we found our white elephant, sister." Cornelia smirked, joking through their comms while Marrybell joined in.
"I wonder if we should have any music to take care of these fools."
"This battle won't take long." She concluded. The installations and setup were nearing completion when she put on the helmet. Her eyes widened at the revelation that Jeremiah did speak true; a scan from a pair of cockpit sensors quickly turned her helmet into an augmented reality device, something she only saw in simulators and trade shows.
"Achilles has stabilized with the linear field." The observation tower on land reported, causing Cornelia to tighten her grip on the controls. She felt the hum of electrical energy racing along the catapult as the operator continued. "Launch preparations complete. Transferring timing controls to Achilles."
"You have control."
"I have control," She echoed. With a force that compressed the center of her chest, the Achilles launched from the Prydwen before she flicked a switch, pulling a lever to grant the machine flight. Joy nearly bubbled out of Cornelia's mouth while Marrybell couldn't hold herself together, laughing in excitement.
Cornelia was amazed, the speed from the Achillies was fantastic and it only took a few seconds for the screen in front of her to inform of a weapons range. With the press of a button, a cannon unfolded from her left shoulder to under her arm and she fired. A bright glow and a flash were the remnants of a munition leaving her barrel. The glasgow far on land exploded, showering the surrounding area with flame and shrapnel.
"Incredible," She muttered as she increased power into her engines. The Achilles sped into the battlefield as her sister followed just as quickly. Her eyes tracked a pair of Sutherlands on her right and she raised her rifle to them. An armor panel on the Achilles' gauntlet opened and two reticles appeared in front of her. The combination of an energy weapon and heavy gatling gun shredded and melted each knightmare respectively.
A group of explosions echoed together in a melody that revealed the destruction from a full rocket salvo that came from Marybell's unit. The Hector dashed across the main roads as it fired each weapon it had in tandem with each other. Every shot had hit their marks indicated by the wreckage of enemy units.
A slight tug on her head followed by a small warning blared to make her react with a quick jump. Her machine followed instructions as if Cornelia was moving her body without any resistance as her CIWs fired towards a group of glasgow which gave her time to spin the machine into a perfect midair firing position.
Neural Interfaced, Cornelia reminded herself. This wasn't just a simple machine, it was a second skin. An armor as marketed by Kingley. She stowed her rifle away and drew the plasma saber as she rushed into the fray, bisecting every enemy unit she came across. Nothing could hit her, the individual thrusters mounted all over the Achilles pulsed each time a bullet or explosion flew closer in hopes to damage her. It is like the Invasion of Area 11. To compare Achilles to the Glasgow and Sutherland was like comparing a Glasgow to tanks.
What's more, It had only been two minutes and both princesses had destroyed over half of the terrorists' knightmares.
I want it. Cornelia thought. Marrybell certainly thought the same inside her own unit.
By the time the relief forces of Britannia and the Chinese Federation came to aid them, most of the terrorists that attacked were smoldering in shallow graves. The KDP units including the Gloucester and the Alexanders had retreated before they could be destroyed or captured. And by nightfall, Kingsley had without a doubt made a target on his back and the eyes of every organization aimed at him.
0000
And now this is the end of the Prologue. Maybe one day I continue this and do R1 of this. It is a full on chaos butterfly effect now.
As you've noticed. The Units being used and Units that were shown were inspired by the UC timeline.
NO, THE PHYLLIS DOES NOT HAVE AN ATOMIC WEAPON.
The Units that were stolen were a reference to most Gundam Series. You know how a large number of canon there were 'Gundam Jackings'? Gundam X, Gundam OG, ZETA, ZZ, SEED, SEED DESTINY... This a call back to that. The Number of Units stolen are... technically eight or ten. One Gloucester, 4 KDP, Three Alexander and now after this event. The Britannians have commandeered the Achilles and the Hector.
RX-78GP00 Gundam GP00 "Blossom" - Not Stolen
RX-78GP01 Gundam "Zephyranthes" - Stolen
RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis" - Stolen - Beam Bazooka Type
RX-78GP03S Gundam "Dendrobium Stamen" - Stolen - Stamen Version
RX-78GP04G Gundam "Gerbera" - Stolen - Edited to work in atmosphere and is based on flight capability.
Sorry Lelouch, You've put yourself in a very serious situation. People are going to pressure you to make more suits, and you don't have political power to refuse.
The Achilles and the Hector are based on the NT units. The Alex Units and the Full Armor Version with a SEED flight package.
Yes The SEED Wizard/Striker Packs are a serious gimmick that CG might utilize which is why I made the Units shown in this chapter that they're compatible to these Striker Packs and maybe future striker packs.
The FA package is a reference to both the FA-Alex Variant and the G-LINE. The G-LINE is a UC design that was based on the Zoids Liger Zero gimmick where it can change armor with a dedicated hanger system. This is too expensive in Lelouch's eyes and the gimmick can't be integrated to future units and is waaaay too expensive for grunt suits. but since they've commandeered by the Princesses, they might use it for themselves. They got plenty of money to spend.
This is also a giant ass shade on the OG Code Geass Canon. This is Kingsley's version of Narita. And all the consequences that come with it.
Thanks for sticking with me!