A rare week of free time, and the overwhelming number of positive reviews in the last chapter fueled me to deliver this chapter in a short time for my standards.
I had to get it done quickly though, otherwise, I'm afraid I'd keep second-guessing myself. This chapter can be considered ground zero for me in many aspects as I had to write about several topics, I didn't have previous experience with. I never wrote about military subjects, the organizational structure of an army, nor delved too deep into a region that is almost forgotten in the Code Geass universe. As a result, I present you with my most authentic and genuine chapter ever, with plenty of new things added, I truly hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Due to the sheer amount of world-building featured in this chapter, I added a glossary by the endnotes. If this proves to be popular, I'll probably make it a constant feature.
Now regarding the reviews. As I did last time, I will address the most common topics in text before answering the more particular questions left in reviews individually.
Lot was asked about Japan. I always like to remind you that at this point in history, we're two years before the start of the canon. I have plans for Japan, upon the conclusion of this arc, I'll make a short interlude, featuring Lelouch's return to Japan. There I'll shed more light on the lives of characters like Kallen, Naoto's group, and the council. Suzaku will be there too….There's not much I can say without spoiling things, so it will be a wait-and-see kind of situation.
I'm glad Gino was well received by everyone, and my suggestion of using one of the operators of the Ikaruga seemed to be accepted by everyone. This is the path I'll be taking. I haven't decided on which girl I'll pair him to, but I still have time. Gino will be an important character, and I already have some plot ideas for him, but before that begins, I must finish this arc.
Now the answers to individual reviews:
Arremi – The little number of interactions with Oldrin was intentional as she admittedly had a low opinion of him in the early years. Until the private talk, the two only interacted because of Marrybell. This arc will be just about Lelouch alone, but once it's over there will be plenty of interactions with her.
PrimeTwo - It's just my opinion, and it could be wrong, but I think that the difference between C.C. and Milly is the timing of their antics A guest candidly pointed out about the secrets C.C. kept from Lelouch in canon also would not sit well with my version of him.
Patjeeson - Guinevere will be an integral part of this arc of the story, and I do have several plans for her, maybe even make her a core character.
To be honest, I never considered Carine as a romantic pairing for Lelouch, I think their personalities are a bit clashing (although one can hardly take 2-3 lines during the series as an evaluation of a character's personality). I won't discard her fully, but I admit right it's unlikely I'll add her.
I am exploring the chance of giving a major spotlight to agencies such as the OSI, Pluton or even make a new plotline for the Directorate, but it's still not a guarantee, as I tend to be a bit critical in this regard.
RabbitHaremLover24 – At this point, I think it's safe to say that Oldrin will join Marrybell, Euphemia, and Milly. For Shamna however I can't say, I didn't see the Resurrection movie, and my knowledge of Zilkhstan is lacking.
Jay - I always appreciate reviews, so keep them coming. Yes, Lelouch on canon clearly had a crippling weakness in Nunally, and as time passes by you realize that this indeed developed into an unhealthy mentality, even obsession. My goal writing is to make things develop organically to curb that, but still show glimpses of that side.
I have some plans on making Lelouch a commander of a special unit, although at this point, they would most likely be more similar to the Glaston Knights than the canon Black Knights.
Marianne's reputation will give Lelouch a bit of different standing, but ultimately it will not be the defining factor of his status. People will follow Lelouch into battle because he's Lelouch, not because he's Marianne's son, although yes...some people will find it easier to talk to him than other siblings such as Cornelia or Clovis.
I tend to be a bit stricter when it comes to characters, so I'll probably keep with only the Code Geass Characters, creating some OCs when needed.
I have a plan regarding the Lancelot, one which will probably earn me a bit of stick but ultimately also the one that feels right.
Lelouch's connections with both the Ashfords and Lloyd will see him getting into the Knightmare business, but it will not be his main source of income.
Friction between Euphemia and Cornelia is meant to happen in a way or another, but it will be nothing major. The characters are two years younger than canon, and since there will be no Zero, Euphemia will not become sub vicereine, sparking things with Cornelia.
It's unlikely that I will add Rai, I never played Lost Colors (although I plan to), so I have no ideas regarding that. Keep in mind that the story will progress in a way that the major conditions to the Skirmish at Shinjuku won't happen, so things will be different regarding Japan.
Marche V – Because of how I planned the story there will be indeed chapters with only romance whilst others will only feature plot. I know that the best works are the ones that blend those two aspects as seamlessly as possible, in the future that's my goal, but that was the best way I could find to write the prologue of the story. Since this arc will be Lelouch-centric, with him isolated from his friends I can say romance will take a backseat, although there may be a few bits of romance scattered along with the plot.
Vegito is King – I think this chapter will disappoint you in some aspects, but the relationship outline between Lelouch and Euphemia is pretty much finished, and hopefully, I'll be able to integrate it into the plot seamlessly.
W – Yes, this my intention. Lelouch's hatred of Britannia may be justified in canon, but he indeed had no problems in targeting civilians and killing 'innocent' Britannians as you pointed out.
I can't answer everything you asked without giving that much plot but I'll do my best.
The Chinese Federation will make an appearance sooner than the canon, but the plan will be different in some aspects.
Schneizel and Lelouch are extremely complex characters, and in my opinion, that's what makes them so appealing. Schneizel even more so, as we don't see his backstory and mindset as much as Lelouch. For instance, when I saw his reaction to the SAZ massacre was that he was unnerved by the fact that it was Euphemia doing the killing, something he hadn't planned for. I'm not a psychologist, and my knowledge on that matter is very basic, but I guess that deep inside what unnerves Schneizel is not having full control of the outcome of a situation, or not being able to predict it.
Analyzing him and Lelouch personality-wise is a complex task, one that I'm afraid I'm not able to do as well as I'd like.
I admit I might enact your last suggestion. I never paid that much attention to Lelouch's height, but you have a very good point. His father is 6'6" and Schneizel is 6'7", if you compare to Lelouch's 5'11" (even if he starved for a few months during the invasion) there is indeed an inconsistency. If I'm not mistaken, men grow until they're 21, so I will attempt to increase the height gradually.
1 – It is a possibility for the future.
A Reader – Thanks for the kind words in your review. You were the first reader to point out the story's name. Yes, Leviathan, besides sounding badass, was a wordplay with the book from Hobbes. The idea of writing this story came to me when I was writing an essay comparing Hobbes to Locke, and reading works like The Leviathan or Machiavelli's The Prince just screams Lelouch. Whilst there will be the analogy/comparison with the biblical beast, Leviathan will also gain new meaning as the story progresses.
TheMist33 - Thanks for the review, I'll be looking into the mistakes you pointed out shortly. Oldrin is confirmed as a pairing, and I'll keep Anya in mind, although I rank a few other possibilities above her.
Thanks to everyone for the reviews, I addressed some of them, but I guarantee that I read everything.
"Are those seats taken?"
Marrybell's eyes widened as she saw not only one, but six of her siblings. She expected to see Odysseus here but had no idea he was being joined by Cornelia li Britannia, Euphemia li Britannia, Laila la Britannia, Gael la Britannia, and Carine ne Britannia.
The group sat down, with Euphemia beside her. Aside from Lelouch, she was her favorite sibling, which made sitting down and confessing to her she kissed Lelouch even harder.
But this could wait, today was all about Lelouch.
The next few minutes were spent in small talk, mainly with Euphemia, who could befriend anyone, and Cornelia, who despite Lelouch's suspicions was amongst the top female generals in history.
Lelouch and Gino soon entered the arena, riding their new Sutherlands.
"I'm quite excited to see how well those new frames will perform." Odysseus admitted
"Hey, big sister isn't that?" Euphemia asked pointing to Lelouch's frame's right hand.
Cornelia nodded. "It's the same lance I use." She confirmed, before having a rare smirk. "It seems that Lelouch took inspiration on me."
Marrybell refrained from pointing that this was exactly what the prince didn't want to do. He wanted a spear, but those weren't made available.
The fight started similarly to last year's, Gino using the swords in an attempt to overwhelm Lelouch's lance and shield defenses.
The frames were faster, more resilient, besides being quicker to respond to the devicer's commands. In that regard, Lelouch excelled Gino, whose vast experience from the Glasgow didn't carry fully to the Sutherland.
"He's fast." Gael said in awe.
"He is, after all, he is her son." Cornelia said, her voice tone carrying some melancholia.
The superior speed granted by the Sutherland, and Lelouch's faster adaptation meant he could do new maneuvers, one of such was blocking a slash with his shield, before thrusting his lance sideways, and spinning it.
Too caught by the suddenness of the move, Gino couldn't quite hold control of both words, dropping its idle one to the ground.
Lelouch, instead of pressing on, simply stood in front of the sword with his frame.
Gino answered in kind, quickly delivering well-placed strikes, with Lelouch only barely managing to escape with the sword.
The noble then decided to use the slash harkens, alternating between attacks on the upper and lower body. One of those managed to nick, Lelouch's shield.
Instead of engaging in a tug-of-war like the last time, Lelouch let the shield go, surprising Gino, who lost balance. The prince was quick to capitalize on that, throwing the sword back at Gino's frame. Due to his reflexes, the noble managed to capture the blade mid-flight but was surprised once again when the prince's lance came flying straight at his arm, sending the frame crashing into the wall.
Gino cursed as he tried to get up, his arm was stuck into the wall by the lance.
Lelouch approached him, showing the accessory on the frame's waist: a Chaos Mine.
The blonde noble glanced around, but for naught. He dropped the sword and raised his good arm. "I yield."
After the whole receiving the congratulations from his instructors and Gino at the arena, Lelouch returned to the waiting room, where he once again met Bismarck.
"If you did that in a war you would be dead." The veteran commented, as Lelouch changed from his piloting suit, a one-piece black dry-fit style clothing, to his full-dress uniform, he was to meet with the emperor after all.
That was a fact, in any kind of real combat, losing the frame's equipment was a sure-fire way to get killed.
"I know, but the objective at hand was to defeat the opposing Knightmare." Lelouch adjusted his uniform.
Most people would think that bureaucracy would find no place in the most efficient military force in the world. Sadly, they were wrong. There were several different uniforms, each one to be used accordingly to the situation, and to make matters worse they would change from Area to Area and due to status.
Finally, an officer, Lelouch now held the rank of Second Lieutenant. Because of that, he now was dressed in the officer's blue tunic and trousers, with a red sash fastened around his waist with epaulets and shoulder straps around his shoulder. Besides that, he also had to wear a forage cap; the prince never felt so uncomfortable.
The giant of a man led him towards the academy grounds.
The prince expected to meet the emperor at a private room of sorts but instead was conducted to the academy's museum. He visited the archive once, attempting to find pictures of his mother but to no avail, the archivist informed him that her pictures were taken elsewhere.
"His Majesty didn't want to draw unwanted attention, hence why we're here." The Knight of One answered the unsaid question.
The prince could understand the emperor's decision, flattering nobles were probably the worst thing in Britannia. Considering his country was famed for its inequality, xenophobia, corruption, and fondness of genocide, that was truly something.
"No, Earl of Nicollet, no one ever told me that my shoelaces are lovely."
He entered to see his father, glancing at something. Being 6'6" tall, and weighing over 230 lbs., the emperor's body more than obscured whatever he was looking at.
Lelouch kneeled. "Your majesty."
The emperor turned around, glancing at his son. Lelouch and Nunally were his favorite children. The emperor did love his other offspring, but unlike his other hundred and so children, the vi Britannia siblings were Marianne's.
Lelouch's return to the royal fray caught him by surprise, and he quickly had to act to prevent V.V. from attempting yet another assassination. As unstable as his brother was, he would listen to Charles should he spoke the right things.
His future without lies would come to fruition later on, but just like seeing Marianne dead hurt him, so would be seeing Lelouch.
"What was the outcome of the fight?"
"I won."
"Good, as it was to be expected of a prince of the empire."
His son opted to stay quiet at that particular barb.
"You've been here before?"
Lelouch nodded. "Once."
The emperor stepped aside, revealing to the prince what he was gazing before: a picture of his mother.
"The first time I saw your mother was on this same building."
For the first time in his life, the prince could see yearning into the gaze of his father.
The wittier, angry part of Lelouch's brain demanded him to press on, demand to know why he did nothing to prevent her murder nor find the culprits. Instead, he gazed to the ground.
"She never saw you following her footsteps, nor did I. Yet, here you are, you may have inherited something good of us after all. Ever saw your mother piloting a Knightmare Lelouch?"
The prince shook his head. "At least not in person. Reuben showed me footage of her once, but it was not the same."
The Emperor nodded. "If she lived Britannia would have conquered the world already."
Charles sighed. "It is customary for the first assignment of a member of the Royal Family to be handled by the Emperor himself. Get up, Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia."
The prince rose from his knee.
"The 99th Emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia, therefore, assigns you to the Military Fort of the Holy Island."
Lelouch frowned. "The Holy Island of Galapagos? What of the royal privilege?" This was a huge wrench thrown into his plans, how could he investigate Schneizel's lead if he was stuck on the isolated island?"
"I said back when you came back from Area Eleven, and I'd say it again, don't expect coddling. If you want to return to the Homeland you have to prove yourself."
The older man's gaze was challenging the prince. Lelouch felt the urge to punch him in the face.
He remembered Japan, and what happened when he challenged his father's authority.
"Last time Nunally suffered for my sins. If I do it now, who would suffer? Nunally, Euphemia, Marrybell?"
"All Hail Britannia."
Religion in Britannia often was ruled by opportunism. The first emperors followed the Celtic pagan tradition but showed little to no reluctance to abandon their ways once it became clear that Christianity was replacing the once strong pagan religions. Still, the Christianism practiced in Britannia held little in common to the Catholicism practiced in Rome and the other kingdoms, such as France and the Holy Roman Empire.
In fact, due to its roots in the pagan tradition, Britannian Christianism was quick to embrace Celtic traditions, remnants of the emperors of old, and to welcome Norse elements brought by the Vikings.
However, at the dawn of the age of absolutism, Britannia was quick to shed away their remaining connections with the Holy See and raise their king as the supreme spiritual authority. By doing that, gone was the last obstacle to the establishment of an absolute monarchy in Britannia.
Centuries after that, Britannia felt the need for a creed to justify their relentless wars across the American continent. They found that in the works of a young naturalist, Charles Darwin.
Whilst Darwin's original work consisted of the study of the evolution of species, the promise of titles of nobility swayed him to endorse the new school of thought. The current Britannian faith held little to no resemblance to either Catholicism or Anglicanism.
The Isle of Galapagos, pivotal to Darwin's findings, funnily enough, wasn't part of Britannia at the time. After their defeat in Trafalgar and subsequent exile to the colonies, it took Britannia a little more than fifteen years to settle things anew and then conquer the land belonging to natives.
In a short span of time the newly proclaimed Emperor of Britannia, Ricardo von Britannia conquered Mexico, who would become the Area 0 of the Britannian Empire. Ricardo wanted to go further, wishing to have the entire American continent on his hands by the time of his death. However, by the time of his death, Ricardo only had managed to conquer the territories of Central America, Area 1, Caribbean, Area 2, and Bolivar's State: Gran Colombia, which became Area 3, which included Galapagos.
The Britannians soon figured out that having the Isle where one of its most distinguished thinkers made his breakthrough in an Area would be strange, to say the least, so Galapagos became the Holy Isle of Galapagos, and was given as an Earldom to one of Darwin's sons.
The Galapagos Archipelago consisted of eighteen major islands and several minor ones. Of those, all but one is still under the control of the Darwin family. The lone exception was Albemarle Island, which was pawned off to the crown, and where Lelouch was being deployed.
Albemarle Island, although the bigger island of the Archipelago had a very small population, only about two thousand people, most living in the island's biggest city: Puerto Villamil.
The Galapagos Fortress was situated on the other side of the island and was built back to hold back a possible invasion westward from the Chinese Federation. This was a good hundred and fifty years ago, nowadays just the idea of Britannia being invaded was preposterous, to say the least.
Due to its isolation from the mainland, no one wanted to go to Galapagos, much the less command it. If the files he studied were truthful, the previous commander was the third son of a Baron somewhere near Iowa, his accomplishments were unimpressive, putting it mildly.
The complex was small, three simple barracks housed the soldiers, with the defensive positions being more than a half-century outdated.
"Your Highness, I humbly welcome you to Fort Albemarle." An aged, olive-skinned man spoke with a thick accent said whilst saluting.
The prince nodded, being saluted at was yet another thing he had to get used to.
"I am sergeant Marlon Olivares. I held the highest rank when the former lieutenant retired and was therefore put in charge of the garrison. Now, allow me to show you the installations."
The installations, Lelouch decided, were clearly subpar, and only reinforced the idea that his assignment here was the Emperor's way of screwing him over.
He was isolated, his men were unruly, and most of all he was alone.
"Show me the Knightmare Hangar."
A few minutes later the prince was heavily considering whether it was too late to return to Japan.
The 'hangar' was basically a worn-out storehouse with leaky ceiling, and clearly located in the worse possible place, just a few feet off the coast, where the frames were sure to get plenty of deterioration due to the salty air
They already did, apparently, as the impressive arsenal of six frames had two disabled Glasgows, another one that despite being useable had seen better days, a Liverpool, which would find zero use in a hilly island with plenty of jungle, and finally two Portman he was sure his men did not know how to operate.
"Sergeant Olivares, call the engineer."
"We have no one, sir."
Yes, he definitively should have stayed in Japan.
As crushed as his expectations were upon his arrival, the prince soon enough calmed down. A lot can be said about a person by seeing how they dealt with the problems presented to them. He saw Clovis rage, Euphy cry, Marrybell lose control, and Cornelia yell, the eleventh prince however would take a step back, analyze (although Nunally and the others would call it brooding) the root of the problem.
Then he would extinguish it.
Life, or in this case the Emperor had assigned him to the polar opposite of a professional army. He'd just have to change things around.
So many things were wrong with Fort Albemarle that even addressing the root of it all was difficult. Like a chain, several links contributed to the current state of affairs. The prince decided then, he'd melt the chain, and make a sword out of it.
Supplies were a problem. One he couldn't deal with at the moment, he obviously requested materials from the homeland, but he was under no illusions that this would take longer.
This left him to work with the resources available, in that case only his men. He had fifty under his command, and it wouldn't take long to see that there was a lack of cohesion in those fifty. Twenty percent of his men were Britannians. They were the easier to deal with, after all, he was their prince, he said, they did it.
The honorary Britannians were a different matter, they would follow him, but do a half-assed job of everything he asked for. The reason was simple: they thought he was an entitled brat playing general (in Lelouch's case lieutenant).
Lelouch, although bothered by that, knew that the real problem was that those two groups didn't work together. In fact, he observed three situations in which a soldier actively attempted to make the work of another harder just because of the difference in status.
Lelouch twirled a chess piece in his fingers, setting up the board in his office. Like the rest of the complex, his office was lackadaisical at best. Still, all he needed was a board.
"Let us begin."
A knock bought him out of his musings.
"Enter."
The figure belonged to the sergeant who was put in charge of the base until his arrival. Olivares.
The man, an honorary Britannian, never openly defied him, but the prince exerted caution around him and the others.
Whilst overall a defender of the rights of numbers and honorary citizens, Lelouch knew if he was to be opposed it would probably come from one of the two rather than a Britannian.
"Sergeant Olivares." The prince acknowledged as the honorary citizen saluted.
"It has been two weeks since you came here, I thought I'd come and ask how you feel about our unit."
"There's work to be done." This was a deliberate softening from the prince, there was a lot of work to be done.
The man nodded. "The personnel had been wondering about it."
This earned an eyebrow from the prince. "Go on."
"We want to know how much will change." He explained.
Well, there goes his attempt at subtlety. "Tell the men to expect changes, lots of it."
The man nodded gravely. "Can I offer you advice, Your Highness?"
"In here I'm not a prince, I'm a lieutenant, so you will address me as such."
"May I offer you advice, Lieutenant Britannia?"
"You may do so."
"Try to understand the men. I know this is not a good unit, the men know that too, but try to see our side too."
Lelouch frowned. "Your side?"
"I take you noticed there was a big division between the men."
Lelouch nodded.
"But what you know of those men?"
The prince frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You may know the soldiers' names, nationality, rank, but this is not just enough."
"How so?"
"You've been in battle before?"
"Not as an officer." That was his short answer.
"When men are threatened and look at the abyss what keeps them going?" the sergeant asked
"Hope."
"And what gives men hope?"
The prince frowned.
"I served as a footsoldier during the conquest of Area 12, it was called the Philippines at that time. The EU, albeit isolated, held the area fiercely. I didn't have the luxury of a knightmare to protect me. Under fire from one of their bunkers, I closed my eyes and thought of my wife. She gave me hope. It's because of her that I made out alive."
Lelouch nodded, knowing that feeling very well. "During the invasion, there were times when he considered giving up, but doing so meant leaving Nunally alone. Hope may have moved Olivares, but it was a pure sense of duty that kept him going."
Despite being a simple, if not unfitting, room, his office did overlook the rest of the base. Olivares approached the window and pointed to some of the soldiers conducting guard duty.
"Wesley Orozco became a soldier to pay for his mother's medications." He pointed at another soldier. "Tomás Escalona, he joined to earn honorary citizenship, plans on leaving after his five years mandatory service to live in Quito."
This caused Lelouch to frown. "He joined the army to become an honorary Britannian? Aren't honorary citizenships handled regardless of the requestee's desired job?"
"Not in Area 3. Here if a number wishes to receive honorary citizenship, he'll have to serve for five years in the army, without remuneration."
That was alarming, to say the least. "How many soldiers sunder those conditions we have?"
"Twelve."
"Three groups then." The prince thought.
Still, the man in front of him was proving to be valuable. "Why are you telling me this, Sergeant Olivares?" Lelouch inquired, before hardening his tone. "The truth, please."
"I want to be safe."
Upon the prince's raised eyebrows, the man continued. "I will retire in four years, but I doubt that Britannia will wait this long for another war."
This was indeed a correct deduction by the honorary Britannian. Everything pointed for war starting in less than a year, even more so considering Britannia would have the advantage of the newly minted fifth-generation frames.
"I know that the better we are prepared the higher are the odds of us surviving, so I'll help you. Not because I like you, I truly don't, but because you are the best chance this regiment has of staying alive."
The prince nodded, remembering a quote from the famed Adam Smith. "By pursuing his own interest, he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it."
"Well, what else can you tell me?"
The man just handed the prince a pack of cigarettes. "This will be your best friend in here."
Piloting the Portman was a new experience for Lelouch. The interface and cockpit felt unfamiliar, the landspinners weren't as potent, the slash harkens were fired from the chest instead of the wrists. Keeping track of how much oxygen was left was another chore. To conclude thing, the frame's exclusive features were harder to master, after all the claw-like grips on the hands, the jetpack on the back, and the torpedoes were new to him. Alexandrine Academy was one of the best military schools in the country, but even that couldn't prepare him. The difference between warring on land and warring on the sea was enormous.
Britannia historically was a naval superpower, reasonably so as its original territory consisted of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. For hundreds of years, citizens of Britannia had their freedom assured by their might navy. That feeling was only reinforced after the triumphant win over the famed Spanish Armada during the Golden Age of the Tudor Dynasty.
That came crashing down hard after their loss at Trafalgar. The rivalry between Britannia and France was balanced due to the fact that the French's army superiority meant nothing in face of the Britannian naval superiority, and vice-versa. But they didn't.
The Battle of Trafalgar, and later the Humiliation of Edinburgh was a turning point in Britannian history. Save for the Absolutism and the nobility, everything changed. The Royal Navy failed Britannia when it needed the most, the Royal Army wouldn't; and they had a whole continent to conquer.
Years and years of focus on land warfare to the detriment of the navy caused an imbalance between the two. Whereas there were over a hundred military academies scattered through the homeland, there were only four naval academies. The discovery of flight only caused this process to accelerate even further.
The Portman was useless on land warfare. Britannia's mainstream military thinkers and generals would often devise their plans based solely on land warfare, leaving to the navy menial tasks such as blockades meant only to cause economic damage and amphibious takeovers. The Portman was meant to be used solely for that, attacks on mildly fortified positions across the coast.
The army did have some in the coastal bases, but they hardly saw the light of the day. Lelouch had just the slightest bit of idea of how to pilot one, and in better conditions, he wouldn't have wasted his time on those.
But the two Portman under his command answered for one-third of his frames, so he had to learn how to use them and make sure his men knew too. It was easier said than done.
The sergeant's advice had been helpful, and slowly but steadily, Lelouch made the adjustments on the regiment.
Since financial support of the mainland had yet to come, the prince took the matter of the precarious facilities on his own hands, or rather his men's hands. The soldiers' days of lazing around were gone, whilst ten percent of the recruits were drilled by the prince himself in the use of the KMFs, the other ninety were across the base, chopping wood, cleaning, and mixing concrete.
Even better the prince made a competition out of it, making Britannians and honorary Britannians alike cooperate and compete. The prize was paid in packs of cigarettes.
Not a smoker, the prince was a bit taken back by Olivares' statement regarding the importance of those small cancer sticks, but that did hold some merit after all. Entertainment was always lacking on a military base, hence why soldiers caused such a ruckus on their leaves. But his men were isolated on an island, and the nearest city could be better described as a fishermen's village. Their definition of fun was reduced to a game of cards whilst smoking cigarettes.
Thankfully Lelouch brought some books from the mainland, and read on topics such as philosophy, political science, and economics. It was still depressing though.
The prince took solace in the fact that this was bound to change, and soon. Britannia was preparing for war, most likely against one of the two minor powers: Australia or the Middle Eastern Federation.
In the best of the scenarios, Britannia declares on Australia and as one of the closest commanders to the area, his regiment is tasked with the conquest of the Australian East Pacific. Heck, he may even have a chance of using the Portman then.
In a worse, and most unlikely scenario, where Britannia wages war against the MEF instead the prince would have to bide his time, but he could volunteer to lead an expedition then.
One way or another his work at this base, and those men would be his way out of the mess the emperor put him in, they would either bleed for him in Australia or vouch for his abilities in the Middle East.
His chance came earlier than he expected, and in the most unlikely of places.
The eleventh prince of Britannia, and second lieutenant Lelouch vi Britannia, was awoken by the incessant knocks at the door of his room.
The prince groggily peeked out. "Olivares, you know what time is it?"
"Lieutenant, we received an emergency call from the mainland."
The prince quickly changed to a formal garment and went to the communications room.
The screen in front of him displayed several faces both known, such as Schneizel, Cornelia, Guinevere, and her husband, and several unknown. Including him, Lelouch counted eight people.
It was Schneizel who spoke. "A little past midnight a terrorist attack occurred into the Panama Channel, in Area 1. Viceroy Hampton, continue please."
The man, bald and burly nodded. "The terrorists detonated bombs across both the channel's dams and Panama City itself. The perpetrators were caught and are being interrogated at the moment."
"How long it will take to make the channel usable again?"
"Two months at least."
The prime minister nodded, fixating his eyes on the camera.
"Shortly after that Areas Five and Six declared unilateral independence from Britannia, proclaiming their territories as part of the Platine Confederation. As of now, Britannian fleet is split between the oceans and isolated and all the area south of the channel inaccessible by land."
"Forces under the flag of the rebels captured Porto Alegre in a surprise attack." A man in his early forties, presumably the viceroy of Area Four, spoke.
"Reports show that rebels also crossed the borders of Area Three, albeit at a slower pace." Guinevere's husband, Andrew Agustin spoke.
Schneizel nodded somberly. "Everything points out to a relationship between those attacks, also our intelligence has managed to discover that Europia United is supplying the rebels with resources and men, under the guise of mercenary forces. Two knightmare battalions are setting sail as we speak, from the cities of Accra and Cape Town."
"Viceroy Braganza, how well can Area Four defend against the invading forces?" the prime minister asked.
"I am confident in our ability to oust the attackers, but our territory is large, I'd need at least a month and a half to muster our entire might."
"Prime Minister, may I speak?" Lelouch asked.
"Go on."
"If the intel is indeed correct, I fear the mercenaries sailing from Accra will attempt to attack the northeast of Viceroy Braganza's territory, as it is relatively close to the African Coast."
Schneizel nodded. "I suspected so. The mercenaries from Accra will mount a strike in the northeast whilst the ones sailing from Cape Town will reinforce the Platine's lines should the need arise, hence why I will need Viceroy Richard's fleet to guard the Atlantic Coast. The presence of Cornelia and half of the Imperial Fleet at Reykjavík will most likely hinder the Europeans from openly engaging in the battle."
The eleventh prince had to acknowledge Schneizel's talent, in a short amount of time the prime minister formulated a solid strategy that covered all the main variables involved.
"Now we must assess the situation on the western front. Viceroy Augustin, Lieutenant vi Britannia, how well can you defend?"
Lelouch opened his mouth to answer but was cut off abruptly by his brother-in-law (it felt weird for the prince to call him that). "I plan to assemble the biggest army seen south of the continent. My knights and dukes will punish the traitors. Lieutenant vi Britannia and his fifty men are welcome to join us." The man said mockingly, causing Lelouch to frown.
He spoke with the man only briefly during the wedding, and it didn't take long for him to place Guinevere's husband in the same category as most of the oafish Britannian nobles. He could see both Schneizel and Cornelia frowning but decided to reply in kind.
"And how long this grand army of yours will take to assemble?"
"A month." The man said boastingly.
"Sufficient time for the rebels to take everything from Quito to Medellín and come knocking in your door at Cartagena."
"So? My army would still win."
"And your land will be devasted." Lelouch smugly pointed out.
"Oh!" the man exclaimed in false glee. "The upstart wishes to play strategist."
"Gentlemen." Schneizel's voice firmly cut off. "Please behave yourselves. Lieutenant vi Britannia, do you have something to add?" The slight twinkling in Schneizel's eyes delivered he knew Lelouch was onto something.
"Yes, my position for this was is useless. Fort Albemarle was built to hold an attack from the west, not the east. Rather than being left to rot here, I suggest me and my regiment take the frontline and hold until Viceroy Augustin's grand army is assembled."
"And where do you plan to defend?" the prince could feel the genuine curiosity in his brother's voice.
"Quito. It is a natural position, on the highest elevation of the entire Area Three." Was the prince's confident answer.
"You can't." Cornelia protested. "That's too dangerous."
The prince purposefully ignored his sister's protest. Instead, he analyzed Schneizel's reaction, whose mouth was on a thin line. "You are likely to be under siege until relief comes from the north. Furthermore, due to Quito's position, we will be unable to send any sort of supplies until the opposing armies are expunged."
Lelouch nodded. "I am aware of that, but I'd like to make a request."
Schneizel nodded. "You may do so."
The eleventh prince noted his brother's tone held little to no affection, a far cry from their talks in Alexandria. He couldn't fault him on that. "I have twelve soldiers under the mandatory service," Lelouch explained. "I'd like to they promoted to fully-fledged honorary Britannians."
"Those are my numbers." Guinevere's husband cut off. "It is customary to ask for the viceroy's input on those cases."
Lelouch knew very well what his input would be, so he decided to retort wittily. "Those are not long your numbers; they are my soldiers."
Before the duo could bicker anymore, Schneizel interrupted. "I can provide that."
"You can't be serious, Lelouch is not even sixteen yet…" Cornelia attempted to speak once again, but this time Lelouch himself cut her off.
"Sister." This was the first time in a long time he called her that. "Britannia is under attack, each one of us has to do its own part. Mine is in Quito."
The next few hours went by in the blink of eyes. The prince had to plan a quick trip to the city of Quito, carrying as much as possible as the reports given to him by his brother-in-law were less than helpful.
Lelouch had lots of people on his shit list, and he doubted anyone could ever take the number one spot from the man he once called father, but Viceroy Andrew Agustin, who the prince deemed to be called just 'Guinevere's husband' was seriously mounting a challenge.
A hardcore supremacist, he looked down on him due to the 'commoner's blood' in his veins and thought himself superior just because he managed to secure a marriage with Guinevere. Although not close to his eldest sister, the prince didn't actively dislike her but knew she was vain at best, and would hardly have a shot at succession anyway.
The plan was simple, leave Fort Albemarle as soon as possible, carrying as much as possible, including the frames, all of them. The Portman will be utterly useless at the mountains of Quito, but it was still better than sending a footsoldier. In the worst-case scenario, it could be dismantled for pieces.
"Lieutenant, another call for you."
"Really?" This was a surprise for the prince, Schneizel said he'd attempt to hold the news as much as possible. This served two purposes, reducing the chance of public unrest and also preventing other areas' separatists from getting encouraged by the act.
"Yes, from the Viceroy of Area Eleven."
"Clovis? Why?"
The prince returned to the conference room, seeing Clovis' face across the screen.
"Brother." The younger prince acknowledged.
"Lelouch, I've heard what happened in the south."
"Well, there goes Schneizel's plan." Lelouch had a unique relationship with Clovis. He was not opposed to using him to further his own goals. Clovis was for him what Odysseus was for Schneizel, although the latter knew he was being used. That being said, Lelouch genuinely cared for Clovis but knew very the third prince's shortcomings. The whole bunch of them. One of those was that he couldn't keep secrets, the fucker ratted him out when he attempted to sneak out from Aries Villa once.
Lelouch just nodded. "Yes, it seems that I'm going to war." He said that with more enthusiasm than acceptable.
"And that's why I'm calling, I want to help."
The younger sibling just raised an eyebrow.
"After the initial rebel attempts to disrupt order, my troops saw little than no action. I can send you my men, put them under your command."
Lelouch frowned. He was being offered a big favor, which meant he would subsequently have a big debt to pay. But the possibilities….
"And what would you send?"
"The best. The Purists."
Lelouch truly hoped he managed to disguise the disgust in his face. The Purists occupied the opposite side of the ideological spectrum when compared to him. "How many?"
"A hundred of them, all piloting Sutherlands."
"If I accept this I'll be indebted to Clovis for the next few decades." His brother, as flawed as he was, was playing well to his own strengths.
Still, Lelouch wasn't a genius for nothing. He shook his head sadly. 'I can't accept, brother, it's too much."
"Nonsense." The blonde replied in kind. "We are family, we should help each other."
Once again, the lieutenant shook his head negatively. "It's not that. I fear for the safety of your area."
Clovis frowned. "You think the rebels may strike here? We are an ocean apart."
"Rebels often are irrational; they may feel emboldened by the actions of their counterparts here and strike."
"But information regarding this is meant to be kept private."
"There are always slip-ins." Lelouch said as plainly as possible.
"Then please allow me to send a small contingent." Clovis said.
Lelouch nodded. "All help is welcomed, but no more than twenty units, smaller groups also have the advantage of moving faster, which I think will be needed."
His soldiers chatted amicably as the ship, which was made disponible by the Viceroy of Area One, cruised through the Pacific Ocean. After his announcement of the revocation of their 'temporary Britannian' status, morale skyrocketed, the knew he would have to do his best to keep things that way, after all they were to withstand a siege.
"You should join your men, your Highness." The sergeant Marlon Olivares, who pretty much became his second in command by now, suggested.
His men, all but the fifteen he left in charge of the garrison in Galapagos, were chatting excitingly with the ship's crew, smoking cigarettes and playing cards.
The prince shook his head. "I'm studying."
The man frowned. "Didn't you graduate lest year?" he asked in accented worry.
"I did, but graduating is not excuse to stop studying. There's always need for new knowledge."
The man nodded. "May I ask what you are studying?"
"History."
"Why?"
"To know why we are fighting."
The man kept silent. "And you've found your answer?"
Lelouch nodded. "Yes, given Britannia's past history I must admit I was assuming there would be a deep-rooted reason why they would revolt."
"And there isn't?" the sergeant asked in surprise.
"Surprisingly no. Britannia has lot on its plate, if the conquest of Area 12 resembled Area 11 by any means you'll know what I'm talking about. I know Britannian society is flawed, but those Areas didn't get the worst of deals. If anything, they are better under Britannian control."
The man was kept quiet. "You believe their rebellion is unwarranted?"
"I doubt their people would want war; their elites however jumped at the chance of getting more powerful."
The prince got up from his seat and leaned into the railing, glancing at the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
"There are several differences between the commoners on this region, for instance a coffee farmer in Area Three will have a different life when compared to a miner in Area Five, but their living standards aren't that different. And unlike the people from the newly conquered Areas. their resentment alone is not strong enough to warrant rebellion. There's a huge difference between having your father killed by Britannia five years ago than having your ancestor killed a hundred and fifty years in the past."
His second in command just nodded in understanding of the prince's points. As a honorary Britannian he did resent the homeland, but set it aside in order to live a fruitful life.
"The only noticeable difference lies within the nobility, the local elites." Lelouch explained. "Think of those who fight on our side, Area One still has nobles who hope to become part of the mainland. Area Two has a well-established niche, after all Britannia can't produce sugar in the mainland, nor create artificial beaches who would match the beauty of the Caribbean."
The prince continued his explanation. "Area Three's viceroy just recently married a daughter of the emperor, Area Four has probably the highest level of autonomy in the entire empire. What they all have in common?"
"Higher nobles who are happy."
Lelouch hummed in agreement. "The Viceroy of Area Five wanted to marry Guinevere too, but the emperor decided to deny him. Those who are in charge of Area Six look with jealousy at the relationship between Area Four and the empire. This not about their people, it's about the shims of nobles who aren't happy enough with their lot."
Olivares was pensive for a few moments. "We all are puppets, aren't we?"
Lelouch nodded. "Until we become the puppeteer ourselves."
Their landing in Guayaquil, the largest port city into Area Three was met with suspicion. As badly equipped the prince and his regiment were, there was a huge gap between them and the city's population. The coastline was pretty enough, with a few Britannians flags being waved as they were received. However, as his army delved deeper into the city, and into the poorer areas, the prince saw distrust in the eyes of the numbers, not only directed to him, but to his soldiers too.
Area Three's economy was based on the production of coffee beans and spices, Guayaquil produced none of it and thus was forgotten in favor of the other main cities. The fact that after the Invasion of Japan foreign trade dipped to an all-time low due to the embargos also made that even more visible.
It was also hurtful to think that his brother-in-law's strategy of amassing his troops at his capital city of Cartagena, a good thousand miles away from the center of the conflict, doomed Guayaquil, and several other cities, to being sacked by the Platine Confederation."
However, the prince had his hands tied on the matter, defending Quito with his small contingent plus the small military/police forces already stationed in the city was a hard task. Defending Guayaquil, a city built in the plains, at the coast and that would be subject to a blockade soon enough would be nothing short of a miracle. He was in no position to gamble there.
There were other things in Lelouch's mind too, namely, the report received from Clovis. He turned to one of the barons who were receiving him. "Can I borrow your cellphone?"
The noble was too eager to comply, and isolated from the rest of the procession he dialed the number on the back of his mind.
"Who the fuck are you? And why you are calling me at three in the morning?" the voice demanded from the phone.
"It's the eleventh prince…"
"Your highness, I …." He heard blustering from the other side of the line.
"It's no problem Jeremiah, I too get grumpy when someone interrupts my sleep." Lelouch said humorously, before deciding to make his voice serious, just for the sake of it. "Although I sure hope you aren't using this language near my sister."
"I'd never…." The man attempted to justify himself but was cut short.
"You are part of the purebloods, aren't you?"
"Yes, why you ask?"
"My brother offered help in my war, in the form of a purist battalion, hailing from Japan. I was wondering if you could enlighten me on their workings."
"Yes, I can, who will be leading the troops?"
"Kewell Soresi."
"Kewell?" the margrave asked. "I'm his friend."
"What is he like?"
The other side of the line was silent for a few seconds. "I'm his friend…but I have to admit that dealing with Kewell can be difficult at times. He's too prideful, and closed to anyone outside of the faction, even more so with numbers." Gottwald clarified.
"That will be a problem." Lelouch admitted. "More than half the soldiers with me are Honorary Britannians."
"He will follow you, but asking him to fight beside an honorary Britannian may be too much, especially if he doesn't respect you."
The prince was silent. "He inspires loyalty from the others?"
"Yes, he does. He has his own agenda but I never saw he put it above the faction's interests."
Lelouch nodded. "What can you say about her second in command, Villetta Nu?
"Villetta is a good friend. She has her own views of things and supports the purebloods as she covets a noble title herself. Some call her selfish but I disagree on that, she just has her priorities set straight."
"You think she's easier to deal than Kewell?"
"Yes, definitively. In fact, she will probably be doing her best to earn your favor."
The prince hummed in agreement, although he doubted anyone would ever earn his favor. Hierarchy trumped about everything else when it came to the military.
"That will be all, Jeremiah, thanks for the information."
After some minutes, he was found by his second in command. "Lieutenant, we are ready to depart to Quito."
The prince nodded. "Before that please summon Lance corporal Simmons and Private Jenkins. I have a special assignment for them."
The sergeant, although surprised, saluted and went to his work.
"How can people even live here?" the prince asked as he settled in the room given to him at Quito.
"We get used to it." Olivares explained
"You?"
"I'm from Bogotá, it is just a little bit lower than there."
Throughout his life, Lelouch only called three places home: Pendragon, the Kururugi Shrine nearby Mt. Fuji, and Alexandria. Unlike any of those places, Quito happened to be a good 9,000 feet above sea level.
The mainland had some cities situated in higher altitudes such as Toluca, Mexico City, Albuquerque, and Denver. But the prince never visited any of them, and now was feeling the effects of the lack of oxygen in the air. For comparison, Quito was some four thousand feet higher than Denver.
"How long it takes to get adapted to it?" the prince asked. His feelings could be described as a mix of dizziness, headaches, and nausea.
"We call it acclimatization, lieutenant. It depends, but from 2 to 3 days for the most severe effects to disappear."
The prince nodded. "You think we can use it to our advantage?"
The man seemed pensive. "If we are dealing with troops commandeered by a general from their capital yes if we are facing locals no. Some cities in Area Five have even higher altitudes than ours."
"Any word from the scouts?"
"Apparently the invading troops are biding their time, going from city to city."
"This is good for us, it gives us more time to prepare for the siege. Also, it shows us that either the enemy has his supply lines stretched out or is seeking to make a profit of the war by pillaging cities."
"Stretched lines? War just started." The honorary Britannian said.
"Yes, either they are too incompetent or they are just greedy. In any way, it bodes well for us."
The older soldier nodded. "We need to hold the city until help arrives, right? He asked earning a nod from Lelouch.
"On an ideal scenario we hold the city, cripple their forces during the siege, and when relief comes, we attack from a fortified position."
"You have any idea of how long it will take for Viceroy Augustin's forces to be amassed?"
"He said he'd be able to gather them in a month, which isn't impossible. However, that was before I decided to defend Quito."
"Then he will hurry his plans?"
"No, quite the contrary. We might be waiting from two to three months. The Viceroy wants me to fail."
"But he's your brother-in-law."
"I have a hundred and so siblings, from those I'd risk saying only about ten don't want me dead. The viceroy is no different in that regard, losing Quito matters little to him, in fact, I wouldn't put it past him to purposefully leak information of our plans to make life difficult."
The man was silent for a long time. "You think we will survive?"
"We have a chance. Augustin can postpone the march, but he'll be suffering pressure."
It was amusing to think of it really if Cornelia is really a friend she'll probably be already yelling at his brother-in-law.
"We have to survive until then, and to do it we'll be taking some special measures."
It took four days for Lelouch to feel normal once again, and as soon as he did, he went to work. A commander rarely wished for his first battle to be a siege, even more so when he was doing the defending. Sieges were both a game of patience and morale, and the prince knew his soldiers, being commanded by a boy no older than fifteen would have none of it.
Yet, there were several aspects of defending that were overlooked. Fortifications are important, not as much as in the battles of old, but a battle could swing in his favor if his troops, especially those who didn't pilot frames, were protected by buildings. The surroundings were also an important part, and in this, the prince lucked out, Quito may as well be the best strategic position in the entire continent. The city was built on higher ground, on hilly terrain, and had a huge natural barrier to the west, a volcano. Besiegers coming from the east would have little space to maneuver their troops as other volcanos laid in the area and the roads were precarious.
Being a defender also meant the prince had a free reign of the battlefield terrain through manipulation of the adjacencies and traps.
A knock brought the prince out of his musings. "Enter."
Sergeant Olivares and another two soldiers, Corporals Torres and Smith. One of the first actions of the prince upon taking control of the garrison at Fort Albemarle was to establish a chain of command. His men were divided into four groups, one being led by the sergeant and the other three being led by corporals. One of the groups was tasked with guarding the fort, whilst the other three, led by the men in the room accompanied him to Quito.
"Gentlemen, I've decided upon our approach. Sergeant Olivares, your group will be tasked with building some special defensive positions on the southern side of the city. The enemy will certainly be coming from there. Which brings out the next assignment, Corporal Torres your group will be tasked with scouting, the more we know the better we are prepared to face the enemy."
The prince then turned to the final corporal, Smith, who was charged with the command of Britannians. "You and your soldier will help me survey the city."
"Understood, sir." The men said saluting.
"Now, it's important we don't disclose those plans, keep communication personal and warn the other soldiers, no one outside of our regiment is to be trusted."
"You fear the enemy has spies on the city?" Torres asked.
Lelouch nodded. "One of the enemies, at least."
"Permission to speak freely, sir?" corporal Smith asked.
"Yes."
"Why are we doing this?" seeing the raised eyebrow, the soldier quickly added. "Not that I'm questioning your orders of course."
The prince rested the crate he was carrying onto the ground. "Where's the enemy?"
The soldier frowned for some seconds. "South of here?"
Lelouch nodded. "Because we know where the enemy is, we can prepare accordingly. Don't you agree?"
"I do."
"As things are, we are already heavily outnumbered. So, we better not go off making new enemies."
"You think the commonfolk can trouble us?" the man asked in surprise.
"There's nothing more dangerous than a disgruntled population, even more so when we are under siege."
Just like in Guayaquil, the population of Quito was distrustful of his men. That simply wouldn't do for Lelouch, his mind was already full of worries. To show good faith to the people, Lelouch had his soldiers, Britannian soldiers for that matter, help the city population.
The result, so far, had been acceptable. The population warmed to them and even came to him and his soldiers with knowledge of the local area, an invaluable asset.
"Lieutenant." Another soldier, this time an honorary Britannian called. "The scouts returned."
"Our network found several bits of information." Corporal Torres began his presentation. "The Platine Confederation's army was divided into three huge groups, and several smaller ones guarding their positions. Their easternmost troops made quick work of Are Four's border patrols and captured several important cities in the south, and now lay siege to São Paulo."
"That's worrying." Lelouch noted. "São Paulo, whilst not the capital of the Area Four is its most populous city, and arguably the most important. If it fell not only the pathway to their capital, Rio de Janeiro would be open, but also it would embolden and increase their morale. Now for the other two?"
"A large host of at least two hundred thousand men is gathered at Santiago, where both the rebel leaders are also located."
"How many frames?" the prince asked
"We couldn't find out."
"It's no problem, go on."
"The final group is headed north and boasts about fifty thousand men. After the capture of Guayaquil, this group was divided into several smaller ones. Two thousand were kept in Guayaquil, ten thousand are subduing the remaining cities on the coast, fifteen thousand are headed towards Quito through the south, with the remaining ones occupying north."
"Their attack will come from the south." Lelouch said decisively. "The army in the north will keep its strength to face Augustin's army. Who leads the south?"
"General Olaf Surrey. He has ten Sutherlands and a hundred Glasgows in his ranks."
"The composition of his troops?"
"Levied troops, mostly from the cities of Mendoza, San Luis, and Rosario."
The prince turned to Olivares. "Those are cities at sea level, right?"
The man just nodded.
"Good. What can you tell me about his equipment?"
"Besides the frames, they have some assault rifles, RPGs, and some support vehicles."
"Aerial support?"
"None." their pilots claimed they don't know the Andes well enough to perform effectively.
"They have missile support?"
"Not much, most of it was given to the northern unit."
The prince nodded. "Corporal Smith, what about our equipment?"
"Besides our six frames, and armament we carried from the base, we obtained three other Glasgows, and some outdated military equipment: mortars, artillery, and some Gatling guns.
"And the men?"
"Thirty-three soldiers, a hundred policemen from Quito, and two hundred volunteers."
"Now for our strategy, let's flip the script."
There trek from Guayaquil to Quito takes roughly half a day. However, the rebel's northern regiment who intended to close the northern access to the city from the north would take at least as thrice of that. This left a very small window of opportunity for Lelouch, one he was keen on exploiting.
Britannian generals faired rather poorly when it came to adapting. His opponent, General Surrey came from a healthy family of nobles from Area Six. It was customary for nobles living in the areas to send their children to be educated in the mainland, both due to the superior quality of education, and to forge connections. Surrey for instance studied at the Academy of Nashville, so he was no different than the other Britannian commanders.
Lelouch however was no simple general, and he knew this would be his statement, not only to Britannia but to the world.
He took his seat at the Liverpool. He hated piloting it, but at the moment he knew he was the one most suited to the task. He was considered a marksman during his time at Academy, it was time he showed why.
The various hills did a great job of concealing his foot soldiers, whilst his frames waited for his signal.
The enemies appeared shortly afterward. Just as the prince predicted, they came into a square escort formation, one of the most simplistic formations, but also one of the most efficient.
Basically, it consisted of knightmare frames surrounding the convoys. The frames' armor would shield and protect the convoys in case of an ambush, buying the soldiers enough time to regroup. It usually was also accompanied by air support in the form of helicopters, for coverage.
There were no helicopters in his sight, something Lelouch knew he'd see often, as the Andean range could be challenging for pilots who weren't used to the area.
The fact that there were no helicopters on either side of the conflict didn't mean that there weren't threats from above. Lelouch's gamble was based on that.
The mortars he found dated back to at least the Great War, it was so outdated his men didn't know how to use them. Ironically enough they became the centerpiece of his plan.
They came down raining and bringing destruction from above. Each of the off-road vehicles could carry twelve soldiers. In one strike, Lelouch could see four blowing up.
Too surprised by the attack, their frames faltered to reacting, and Lelouch took advantage of it, firing the cannon of his Liverpool, in a perfect shot into the back joint of a Glasgow's leg, separating it from the rest of the frame.
The Glasgow lost its balance and fell upon two other vehicles. The prince just then realized that, albeit indirectly, it was the first time he killed.
He'd have to deal with this later.
"The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed."
When formulating his plan, Lelouch attempted to get his soldiers as many advantages over the enemy as possible. He could see it working out. The enemy was caught in an ambush, its command structure shattered and fighting under the effects of the altitude.
The Glasgows rained fire upon the foot soldiers, whilst his artillery and anti-tank units fired upon the uncoordinated enemy frames.
Lelouch glanced around, casually firing the frame's Gatling gun upon the vehicles. He spotted the Sutherland and quickly fired a missile towards its cockpit. It certainly was not a pretty death, but this was war.
The onslaught continued, even the Portman made an appearance, launching torpedoes and serving as a shield for the foot soldiers.
Lelouch had the time to get rid of the other two Sutherlands when the enemy managed to reorganize. As their support vehicles started to fire back, and the remaining Sutherlands advanced, he ordered his retreat, their job was done.
The Battle of Pasochoa, named after the nearby volcano, ended up with a resounding Britannian victory. In less than forty-five minutes Lelouch's forces killed six thousand men, destroyed sixty percent of their Glasgows, three of ten Sutherlands, besides damaging at least other three. The meager cost of thirty lives, twenty-five volunteers, and five policemen only made the victory even sweeter for them.
The prince glanced at the soldiers and volunteers alike in front of him. They were tired, he noted, he was too. After their initial victory at Pasochoa, the remaining forces south of him were outraged and swore to take Quito and mount his head into the walls.
For the next forty-five days, he saw the worse war had to offer, facing assaults from south and north. Two times he saw men die in front of his eyes, several times he killed enemy soldiers without an ounce of mercy. It was war, and the man loses every time he wields a gun.
The prince surprised himself with how he carried himself, acting with an unseen familiarity with the battlefield. He killed, he sent men to their deaths, and most importantly, he survived. Nunally would not lose her brother in Quito.
This could all change today, his brother-in-law, and his grand army were seen approaching from the north and would be charging at the enemy army stationed there. This meant he now had free reign to crust the remaining forces in the south, finally ending the plight of Quito.
"Gentlemen, for the last forty-five days we were sieged. We starved. We saw friends, parents, children, and comrades die in front of our eyes at the hands of the enemy. We survived, soldiers. We are one victory away from freedom." The prince jumped atop his Liverpool for dramatic flair. "Today we attack. Today we avenge. Today we survive. Today we win. For Quito!" he yelled earning cheers from the population. "AND FOR BRITANNIA!"
"FOR BRITANNIA!" Soldiers and numbers alike yelled, their differences forgotten for a moment that would last an eternity.
Compared to Pasochoa where the tactics played a major role in the battle, the Defense of Quito was pretty much straightforward.
In the north, Augustin's forces won in sheer numbers against the opposing soldiers. As much as he loathed the man, his brother-in-law's generals were better than their Platine counterparts, as much as the soldiers' morale were higher.
Lelouch's victory in the south was all but assured. General Surrey's men's morale plummeted every time their assaults on Quito failed, now they were met by a better-prepared force, backed by the support coming from the city. The man who led the formidable defense became known as 'El Diablo Lelouch', 'The Devil Lelouch' in Spanish.
The foot soldiers, Surrey's levied commoners were the first to surrender, with some minor pilots doing the same.
With support coming from Lelouch's Liverpool, his Glasgows defeated the remaining frames. Sensing the defeat, Surrey attempted to retreat but was cut off by the final piece of Lelouch's plan, the purists, piloting their own Sutherlands, and eager to acquaint themselves.
Lelouch's order of ceasefire was quick, the battle was won, now it was time they salvage the frames.
Viceroy Augustin, entered Quito feeling good about himself. In a short span of time, he scored a royal marriage with the eldest princess, saw his political power increase, and now he led the biggest army south of Ecuador.
"Remember to smile." He said, turning to his wife. "It's time those numbers recognize their savior."
And recognize their savior the people of Quito did, as Lelouch returned to the city, this time accompanied by Clovis' purists, and with captured nobles and frames alike in tow.
Guinevere saw her half-brother open the cockpit of his green frame, a Liverpool if she wasn't mistaken, looking more like a prince than any of his other siblings, even Clovis and Schneizel.
He raised his right hand in the air in triumph. And then she heard it all, cheers, yelling.
"All Hail Lelouch!"
"Viva Lelouch."
"All Hail Britannia and the prince."
She turned to her husband, who had a look of outrage on his face, and gulped.
There was nothing more dangerous than a disgruntled noble.
There's a lot of things to be said about this chapter. A minor note first, the names given by Lelouch when describing Galápagos were in English, although in real life they are in Spanish, Albemarle Island goes by the name of Isabela Islands in real life. Since Britannia has a track record of discriminating against other cultures, I wouldn't put it past the previous rulers to attempt to change some names to English.
I attempted my best to show that despite being in a different setting, Lelouch has still some of the canon's shortcomings. At this moment he shows no hesitance in putting other's lives in line if it meant achieving his objective. His interactions with his soldiers will be similar to those with the Black Knights at the start of R1. I like flawed characters, and I felt that it made sense for Lelouch to act like that.
Now, I'll open my heart for you. As I said from day one, I intended to make something new. And doing that requires gambling, leaving my comfort zone. The last few weeks writing this became a unique experience for me. I want this story to earn its place at the top, and I will count on you for that.
This chapter featured several things that could be considered unique. A South America setting, first-person POVs, a different world-building...
I need all sorts of feedbacks, this time more than ever. Tell me your likes, dislikes, suggestions, everything in the reviews. Each review I receive improves the quality of my writing, and this is what's great about writing here. Also, feel free to message me if you dislike reviewing. Before I present you with the glossary, a small announcement. The next chapter, which will most likely be named 'A Coward's Check', will take longer to be written due to my schedule, I can't say how long, it can be two weeks, it can be two months.
Glossary - Areas of the Britannian Empire (1-6) as of 2015 a.t.b.
Area 1: Territories in Central America, spamming from Panama to Guatemala. Several former Spanish colonies, conquered by Ricardo von Britannia.
Area 2: Territories in the Caribean Sea. Britannia already had possessions (Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago) there when Ricardo ascended. Haiti fell shortly after. The remaining territories were conquered from the EU across the century.
Area 3: Encompasses the territories of Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, and Ecuador. After the independence from Spain, Simon Bolivar managed to unite prevent secession from happening, and ruled Gran Colombia until his death. It was conquered by Britannia at the turn of century. Britannian Guyana was integrated into it, and the other two were conquered in wars against the EU.
Area 4: Brazil - A peculiarity amongst the areas, Brazilian annexation was peaceful. Britannia and Portugal were historical allies, with several instances of cooperation between the countries. Portugal sided with Britannia during the Napoleonic Wars, and as result was invaded by Napoleon. Just like their Britannian allies, the Portuguese king fled to his colony, proclaiming himself Emperor of Brazil. The Brazilian Empire was shaken by conflicts against its historical rivals in La Plata, as well as the slavery debate, and by the turn of the century, the emperor was at risk of being deposed by unruly oligarchs who wanted to establish a republic. Brazil sook Britannian aid, and became an Area, but due to the circumstances, it managed to obtain several regalias. Such regalias include a hereditary viceroy title, diminished taxes, and the right to maintain the name Brazil for internal use.
Area 5: Territories of Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. Rich in minerals, was conquered by Britannia into the first half of the twentieth century in consecutive wars and due to the infighting. The capital is Santiago, and as of 2015 is part of the Platine Confederation.
Area 6: Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Historical rivals of the Brazilian Empire, the United Provinces of La Plata were the last area in South America to be conquered by Britannia, shortly after Area 6. The capital is Buenos Aires, and as of 2015 is part of the Platine Confederation.