The Shattered Mosaic

by Juubi-K

A single choice can change the course of history. So Zero discovers, when Princess Euphemia is assassinated during the opening ceremony of the Special Autonomous Region. Now his plans are in chaos, and the world will take a new and unexpected course. The mosaic is shattered, and he must somehow reassemble it.

8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."

J.R.R. Tolkien

Shinagawa Station, Shinagawa Ghetto, Japan

With a whoosh of steam and a clunk of heavy metal, the train rolled into the station.

Lelouch stood upon the platform, mask aimed straight at the train as it slowed to a halt. Next to him was Tohdoh, clad in his new tunic with his general's insignia at his shoulders; the same tunic General Katase had once worn. Behind him were his Shisei-ken and officers, eyes still bright with pride, in spite of what had passed between them all, less than an hour earlier.

The train halted. A moment later the carriage doors clunked open, and two soldiers stepped out, taking up position to either side. They wore the same uniforms as Tohdoh's JLF troops, but with a broad white sash running from right shoulder to left hip. They snapped to attention, and presented arms, as two more officers followed; a hard-faced major, and a lean, youthful-looking colonel with brown hair.

"I am Colonel Ichiro Kodai, CIC, White Sash Brigade," the colonel introduced him, snapping off a crisp salute. "This is my subordinate, Major Ryuichi Kusakabe."

The major saluted, and Lelouch heard Tohdoh and his officers return the salutes. He could also sense the shiver of disquiet that ran through them, as well as Kaguya at his right, and all the others present.

Kusakabe. Of all the names, of all the people. He could only hope it didn't mean what he thought it meant. It was a complication he didn't need.

"Welcome, colonel," Lelouch greeted him, proffering his hand. "I have heard much of the White Sash brigade. We are glad of your presence."

"I only regret that we could not have come sooner, Zero," replied Kodai, clasping his hand.

"Think nothing of it, colonel. There will be more battles to come." Lelouch gestured towards Kaguya and Tohdoh. "I present Lady Kaguya Sumeragi, representing the Six Houses of Kyoto, and Major General Kyoshiroh Tohdoh, CIC of all regular forces."

Kodai bowed to Kaguya, and gave Tohdoh another salute.

"As of now, you serve under Major General Tohdoh's command," Lelouch went on. "Unfortunately, we have a war to fight, so I leave this to you, Tohdoh."

Tohdoh saluted, and Lelouch nodded before turning and striding away, Kaguya and Kallen falling in at his shoulders.

"He seems a nice young man," Kaguya commented, smiling.

"Emphasis on young," Kallen cut in. "And what about that Kusakabe guy?"

"Ah yes, Ryuichi Kusakabe," Kaguya went on, still smiling. "The nephew of Lieutenant Colonel Josui Kusakabe; who was behind that unfortunate incident at Lake Kawaguchi."

Lelouch could see the look on Kallen's face. Unlike Kaguya, she knew the whole truth; or at least was in the process of figuring it out.

Josui Kusakabe had been an officer in the old Japanese Self Defence Force, and had carried on the fight as a senior member of the Japan Liberation Front. A few months earlier he had led a raid on the hotel at Lake Kawaguchi, during a sakuradite distribution conference, and taken those inside hostage. Among the hostages had been the female members of Ashford Academy's student council, and Princess Euphemia, attending incognito. Kusakabe had gone on to kill several hostages, before Zero and the Black Knights intervened to rescue the survivors.

Officially, Kusakabe and his men had committed suicide, out of shame for what they had done. Of those present, only Lelouch knew the truth; that they had died under the influence of his Geass, allowing the Black Knights to move in unopposed. Now that Kallen knew about his Geass, it would not take her long to figure it out.

But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Kusakabe had died a murderous terrorist, his honour as a soldier despoiled, and the reputation of the JLF in tatters. It was a shame that Ryuichi Kusakabe, as his nephew, had little choice but to bear.

Lelouch knew, only too well, that shame was hard to bear. He also knew what shame could drive a man to think, or believe, or do.

"If he causes trouble, Tohdoh can handle him," Lelouch said. "In the meantime, we will return to the SAR and start organising more forces. With any luck the MCV will be working by now. We need to…"

"Zero!"

A young man in black uniform hurried up to them. It took Lelouch a moment to recognize him as Junichi Tachibana; a competent young man with a rather nondescript face, and if the rumours were true, a remarkable success rate with women.

"What's the matter?" Lelouch asked, as Tachibana reached them.

"It's…uh…" Tachibana faltered as he saw Kaguya.

"I shall await you on the Black Thunder, my lord husband!"

Kaguya smiled, bowed elegantly, and then all but skipped away down the platform. Lelouch suppressed a shudder as he saw the look on Tachibana's face.

"Uh, yes!" Tachibana mastered himself, seeing the glare Kallen was giving him. "There's a man here to see you, Zero."

"Who is he?"

"He won't say, Zero." Tachibana paused, looking awkward. "But he wants to talk to you in private. He says you've heard from him twice already."

Lelouch felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Could it really be him?

"Where is he now?"

"We've got him under guard in one of the storerooms."

"Lead on."

Lelouch followed Tachibana through the station, Kallen following close behind. They soon reached the rear storerooms; where the station's various consumables, everything from printer paper to toilet rolls, would have been stored.

Inside one of the rooms were two Black Knights, keeping close watch on a tall, lean man clad in green camouflage fatigues. He had long black hair, and a thin face that put Lelouch in mind of a predatory bird. His face was expressionless, but there was an air of disdain about him, as if he found the whole situation beneath him.

"We checked him," said the rearmost guard, as he saw Zero approach. "This was all he had on him."

He held up a handgun and a comm earpiece. Lelouch took them, and examined them one at a time. The gun was an old, short-barrelled Chinese model, easily available on the black market, and common in Japan. The earpiece was also of Chinese manufacture, but nevertheless common enough; an outdoor model, of a sort that could be purchased in most camping or hiking stores.

And the identifying insignia had been conveniently removed.

"Who are you?" he asked the man, in Japanese.

"A man who must speak with you, alone," the man replied, also in Japanese.

It was him, Lelouch was certain. This was that same Li Xingke who had called him earlier, who had warned him of both the Britannian bombers, and of the Chinese missiles. The voice was the same, and even that Japanese; so textbook-perfect, but just slightly off somehow.

"I will deal with him," he ordered. "Leave us."

The guard nodded, and the pair followed Tachibana out into the corridor.

"Now, you will talk," Lelouch said, once Kallen had finished locking the door. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"I am Major Li Xingke, Special Forces corps, Chinese Armed Forces," the man introduced himself. "I have come to speak with you on a matter of the utmost urgency."

Lelouch glanced at Kallen. She was doing a fair job of concealing her feelings; but he could tell that she was surprised, and suspicious.

"And what would that be?" he asked.

"That is for your ears alone, Zero."

His tone was polite, but there was something in it that set Lelouch's teeth on edge. He could tell that Kallen was even less pleased by it.

"This is Captain Kozuki, commander of my bodyguards," he said. "What you would say to me, you may say to her."

He saw Kallen's reaction in the corner of his eye.

"As you wish." If Xingke was put out, he made no show of it. "Her Imperial Majesty, also called the benevolent, has commanded her soldiers to ensure the success of your rebellion, and the liberation of Japan from the Britannians who tyrannise it. The Grand Eunuchs have thus ordered me to offer my services as a liaison officer."

Lelouch regarded him. There was no apparent deception in him, no sign of treachery.

"A liaison officer," he mused. "Precisely what services are you offering?"

"I can serve as your interlocutor with the Chinese Federation," Xingke said. "We are prepared to assist your campaign with aerial and satellite reconnaissance, as well as fire support and troops."

"I see." Lelouch kept his tone easy. "Would those be the troops about to land at Hokkaido and Kyushu? And the missiles that inflicted considerable chaos and destruction on my forces?"

Xingke's face did not so much as flicker.

"I regret that your forces suffered casualties," he said, in a tone that seemed sincere. "But this was only because of their proximity to the government bureau. It was not intentional on our part."

Lelouch glanced at Kallen. She was controlling herself for the moment, but he could see the anger in her eyes. She didn't trust Xingke, but then again, neither did he.

"Nevertheless, this makes it very hard to trust you," he said. "What guarantee can you offer that you or your masters will not betray us?"

Something shifted in Xingke's countenance. A flicker of emotion, swiftly suppressed, but there just long enough for Lelouch to notice it.

"I cannot speak for the Grand Eunuchs," he replied. "For myself, I can offer only my word of honour, and my life."

Lelouch kept his mask aimed straight at Xingke, and wondered how observant he was. If he were to send Kallen a hand signal, would he notice? And would Kallen understand it? He hadn't had time to teach her such things properly.

Unlike with Suzaku.

"That's quite an offer," he went on. "But it puts us both in a difficult position. If you or your masters were to transgress, I would be entitled to kill you. Worse, I would be obligated to do so, if only to avoid alienating my followers."

"Again, Zero, I can offer only my word."

Lelouch paused again. And then a notion came to him.

"You are very loyal, Xingke," he said. "To be willing to die for your eunuch masters."

That something again.

"I serve her Imperial Majesty, the Child of Heaven," replied Xingke. "For her I live, for her I die."

"Come now," Lelouch pressed. "Her Imperial Majesty is a girl of twelve, who has never once left the boundaries of the Forbidden City. I hardly think it necessary to bring her into this."

There it was again. More noticeable this time.

"The Grand Eunuchs express the will of her Majesty," Xingke said, his tone just a little testy. "My oath as a soldier is sworn to her Majesty, and her Majesty alone."

"You and I both know that this is not true," Lelouch went on. "If it were, your uniforms would all be pink, and your primary duty would be the acquisition of…"

Xingke's arm was a blur, that rematerialized an instant later with his hand clamped around Lelouch's throat.

"I warn you now, Zero." Xingke's countenance had noticeably darkened. "Do not speak thus of her Imperial Majesty."

"And I'm warning you!" Kallen had drawn her handgun, and was aiming it steadily at Xingke's head. "Let go of Zero, now!"

Lelouch forced himself to think, even as Xingke's fingers constricted his neck. He had gotten a rise out of the man, but at a price. He could feel the narrow, hard fingers squeezing his carotid arteries; not hard enough to lay him out, but enough to make him feel light-headed, weak. He would have to come up with something, and fast.

"Zero!" It was Tachibana, banging on the door. "Zero, what's wrong?"

Xingke's aura shifted. He was readying himself for a fight, for armed Black Knights to come bursting in. No doubt gambling that if he could just disarm Kallen, he would have a fighting chance.

"It's all right!" he called out. "A shelf fell over, that's all. This place is falling apart. Go and tell Diethard I'll see him in a minute."

"Uh, okay." Tachibana sounded dubious, but he obeyed, his footsteps retreating down the hall.

Lelouch looked back at Xingke. The man had for the most part kept his face expressionless, but Lelouch could make out the shift in his countenance. He had been expecting to fight, to die, but Zero had sent away his followers, the men who could save him. This he had not foreseen.

"I have no wish to harm you, Xingke," Lelouch said. "But if you choose violence, you will not walk out of here alive."

Xingke glared at him, for what felt like an eternity. Lelouch felt himself getting weaker, and wondered if he would ever let go. His Geass…

Xingke released his throat, and stepped back.

"Was that entirely necessary?" Lelouch asked, as Kallen moved to stand next to him, gun still trained on Xingke.

"I came to you as a friend," Xingke replied, bitterly. "But you insulted my Empress and provoked me to violence. Think yourself fortunate I did not kill you."

"You came to me as a stranger, the servant of men who bombarded my forces without so much as a warning, and are landing troops on Japanese soil," retorted Lelouch. "Can I afford to trust you, Li Xingke? Are you your own man, or do you serve the will of your masters?"

Xingke looked as if he wanted to say something, to snap a retort. But no words came.

"What do you want from me, Zero?" he asked, bitterly. "What must I do to convince you?"

"Tell me precisely what your eunuch masters intend," replied Lelouch. "What is their purpose in involving themselves in this war."

Xingke did not reply. Lelouch had a notion as to his true motives, but only a notion. If he had gotten this wrong…

"Their intent is to break Britannian control over Japan," he said. "By ensuring the success of your rebellion, and by securing Kyushu and Hokkaido."

"And then?"

Xingke paused again.

"The Grand Eunuchs hope that Japan will agree to join the Chinese Federation," he said, sounding just a little embarrassed. "Their hope is that Japan will realise that it cannot stand alone, and join of its own free will."

"The hell we can't!" snapped Kallen. "Why should we throw out Britannia only to bow down to China?"

Xingke gave her a patient look.

"Do you seriously believe that Japan can stand alone in the face of the Chinese Federation?" he asked, mildly. "Our power is the only thing that might dissuade Britannia from an immediate counterattack."

Kallen gritted her teeth, but made no answer. Her face was furious, but her eyes were full of pain; the pain of one who knew what they could not bear to be true.

"What you say is true, Xingke," Lelouch cut in. "But that doesn't really tell me anything. What I need to know, Li Xingke, is what your eunuch masters truly intend. By what means do they intend to take Japan for themselves?"

Another pause. Another dark look. Lelouch knew he was pushing it now. What Xingke had just told him was something anyone who read newspapers could figure out. To go much further was approaching the broader definition of treason.

And the Grand Eunuchs could be highly flexible when it came to definitions of anything.

"Their hope is that the new Japanese government will seek membership in the Chinese Federation, perhaps after a period of diplomatic alignment," Xingke said. "They do not wish to take any action beyond that, if they can at all avoid it."

That much made sense. Directly interfering in Japanese politics risked a backlash, and thus losing all they sought to gain. No one wanted to lose all through an excess of action, when inaction would bring them what they wanted soon enough.

Or that was the idea, anyway.

"Then I will accept your offer, if you are still willing."

He heard Kallen barely suppress a gasp, and saw Xingke's eyebrows twitch.

"You are content with this, Zero?" Xingke asked, sounding more than a little dubious.

"I came here to liberate this country, not to rule it," Lelouch replied plainly. "Soon this country will be free, and it will have a new government. I will have no part in it, nor will I influence it. If the new government wishes to join the Chinese Federation, that is no concern of mine."

Xingke regarded him for a few moments.

"Very well, Zero." He bowed, making the traditional fist-and-palm salute. "I am Li Xingke, at your service."

"Welcome then, Li Xingke." Lelouch nodded to Kallen. After a brief pause, she stepped over to the door and opened it. Her eyes widened just a little when she saw Diethard Reid standing outside.

"So Tachibana understood," Lelouch thought. He might have potential after all.

"Come in, Diethard," Lelouch greeted him. "This is Major Li Xingke, of the Chinese Federation, here to serve as liaison officer. Please take him to the Black Thunder, and get him settled in."

"As you wish, Zero."

"Oh, and Xingke, are your companions nearby?"

For a moment, Lelouch expected Xingke to deny it, to insist that he had come alone.

"They are concealed in the ruins not far from here," he said.

"Then call them in. I'd like them to accompany us. Diethard, does Tohdoh have a handle on things?"

"Yes, Zero. He has selected his personnel, and his in the process of organising his available forces. The unloading of the White Sashes is underway."

"Good. Order all remaining Black Knights to board the Black Thunder, or one of the other trains. We will return to the SAR, and continue the campaign from there."

Diethard nodded, and led Xingke out of the room. Kallen closed the door, and turned to face him.

"You object, Kallen?"

Kallen did not reply. Unlike Xingke, Lelouch had little trouble reading her. She had been able to conceal her true identity, her true self, for many years. But he had always been able to understand her somehow. He found it curiously reassuring.

"Zero, what the hell?" She was angry, but also uncertain, as she had been a moment ago. "You actually trust him?"

"No, I don't," replied Lelouch bluntly. "I don't trust him, and I know for a fact that he doesn't trust me either. But we need the Chinese Federation, so he serves a purpose."

"And what then?" demanded Kallen. "Did we fight and die just to let the Chinese Federation take over? Are you really fine with that?"

Lelouch fixed her with a bitter glare.

"What would you have me do, Kallen?" He didn't want to be harsh with her, but he had to make her understand. "Did you want me to rule this country, is that it?"

"Well…". She faltered, clearly torn. "No…I…"

"Or perhaps you thought we would rule together?" he asked, his mask concealing the smirk he could not suppress. "Is it power you want, Kallen?"

"No! I didn't want power! Nothing like that!"

Her anger faded, and she seemed to deflate.

"I just wanted to live a normal life with my mother," she said, glaring at him with eyes full of pain. "I wanted this to be a peaceful country, a free country, like my brother wanted."

Lelouch's heart sickened with a sudden guilt. He had quite forgotten about Hana Kozuki. He had seen her only once, lost in a Refrain-induced hallucination, reliving happier times with her children.

She had not been a fortunate woman, even before she had turned to Refrain. She had been the mistress of George Stadtfeld, fifth Baron Stadtfeld; a refuge from the harsh words and unhappiness of his wife, who unlike Hana had been unable to give him children. When Britannia had invaded and destroyed Japan, Stadtfeld had been quick to take his daughter in, granting her his surname and forcing his humiliated wife to play along.

And she was out there, somewhere. Following her arrest for Refrain misuse, she had been committed to a treatment centre in the town of Minobu. Kallen hadn't said anything, but he could tell that she was worried. There was no telling what could happen in the days to come.

"If Japan is to live again, it must be able to stand on its own," he continued. "It must govern itself, without anyone interfering. If we interfere just because we don't like what it's doing, then there will never be peace. Just a neverending game of topple-the-government, and eternal chaos."

"I know." Kallen had settled somewhat, but he could still see doubt in their eyes. "But I can't help but wonder…what if someone else just takes over? What if someone just takes it over from inside and runs it for themselves? Like Kyoto used to?"

What could he say? What could anyone say? Lelouch had no answer. He had been so focussed on getting the Black Knights set up, on preparing for his rebellion, that he hadn't paid it much thought.

And he wasn't entirely sure there was a solution.

"We are the Black Knights," he said. "We destroy tyranny, to create the space for freedom. We tear down, so that others might rebuild. As for the Chinese Federation, we'll deal with them when the time comes."

Kallen sighed. She seemed to have accepted his words, but the doubt was still there.

"So, what now?" she asked.

"Now, we head back to the SAR and see what forces we can organise," Lelouch said. "Then we head to Minobu, and check on your mother."

"Minobu?" Kallen's eyes widened in surprise.

"This was all for your mother, wasn't it?" Lelouch asked, knowing the answer. "We need to make sure that she's safe."

He did not understand the look Kallen was giving him. And for the moment, he didn't need to understand.

(X)

Pendragon, Holy Empire of Britannia

Schneizel el Britannia, 2nd Prince and Chancellor of the empire, kept his face in that look.

It was a good look, one he had perfected in his youth, back at school. It combined patrician stoicism with regal dignity, while avoiding condescension or an excess of standoffishness. It was a good 'prince' look, as well as a good 'chancellor' look, a look that made people take him seriously, without scaring them off.

It was a look he often used, and one he needed today. Governance, at any level, was all about appearances. The last thing he needed was his subordinates to think he was at his limit, to see any trace of weakness.

They sat there, at the horseshoe-shaped meeting table, in one of dozens of meeting rooms hidden within the corridors of the Imperial palace. Their eyes were upon him, trusting, yet questioning, wondering what he was going to say.

Wondering what he was going to do about the nightmare rapidly engulfing the Holy Empire of Britannia.

Schneizel cleared his throat without a sound. Time to get on with it.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, looking from one to the other of his subordinates. "You are aware of the crisis currently upon us. What you may not be aware of is the precise scale and import of the crisis, and what this means for our empire. To that effect, I have summoned you hear to report the current situation in your own spheres."

He turned to the right length of the table, at the head of which sat Kanon Maldini; his equerry, closest servant, and the nearest thing in all the world he had to a friend. The young man inclined his head to acknowledge his cue, then turned back to his workstation.

"We have collated and analysed the latest reports from Caer Myddyn and General Staff Headquarters," he said, his voice soft and somewhat feminine, but nevertheless clear. He tapped at his workstation, and the room's main screen came online. Heads turned to look as a map of Area 11 appeared, marked with unit icons and faction territories.

Schneizel heard more than one muffled sigh. They could tell, just from that, how bad it was.

"All the major settlements have taken significant damage from the missile bombardment,:" Kanon went on. "The settlements and military bases in the east of Honshu, the central island, have fallen as far south as Tokyo. The Hokkaido settlements and bases remain under control, but the interior is entirely lost. According to our last report, Tokyo Settlement has been effectively destroyed. Our remaining forces are retreating in the direction of Osaka settlement, along with large numbers of civilian refugees. The rebels seem to be leaving them alone for the most part, but comm chatter suggests sporadic attacks on the columns."

He paused, and tapped at his workstation again. More icons appeared.

"Central Honshu remains for the most part under our control. The NAC leadership has declared itself the interim Japanese government, and have granted Zero command of all forces."

Another pause.

"The territory to the west of Kyoto is essentially contested. The bombardment there seems to have been somewhat lighter, suggesting that the Chinese were observing the fighting, and judged their best chance to be to the east. All settlements to the west of Himeji remain under our control, including those on Shikoku, but all have taken considerable damage. The attacks on the settlements have stopped, but recon data suggests significant rebel formations still in the area. Kyushu has thus far been quiet, as has Hokkaido and Okinawa."

A quick pause, as the map zoomed out, with icons representing the Chinese forces appeared.

"The main Chinese deployments are in the directions of Kyushu and Hokkaido, and are expected to begin their landings within the next twenty-four hours. Their intent is most likely to free up rebel forces in the east by removing the threat of Hokkaido, and perhaps push east from Kyushu in support of rebel forces in western Honshu. HQ estimates that our colonial forces cannot last more than another month without immediate and significant support. Caer Myddyn concurs."

He fell silent, his words hanging in the air. Schneizel acknowledged him with a nod, and then turned back to the others.

"Ladies and gentlemen…friends…" He paused, choosing his words. "Kanon has made clear the strategic situation in Area 11. I am sure you now all understand the gravity of these events, and the depth of the danger."

He looked from one to the other. Colonel Michael Grey, his military advisor. Katrina Robesart, his economic advisor. Frances Brandon, his industrial expert. Julio Ridolfi, his Public Relations and political advisor. And Morfin Goronwy, head of his legal team.

"Katrina," he said, fixing his eyes on her. "What news on the financial front?"

Katrina cleared her throat, and Schneizel wondered if what she was about to reveal was half as bad as he had predicted.

"It's bad, your highness." She tapped at her workstation, and the maps were replaced by a series of graphs and charts. None of them looked at all encouraging.

"Share prices in sakuradite and anything related to Area 11 are already falling. We're looking at a full-scale dumping before the sun's even up. The numbers affected look set to run into the millions."

She said it so calmly, but he could tell she understood the reality of it. Millions of Britannian citizens. Millions who lived off their investments, or depended on them for a substantial part of their livelihood, or who had risked all or much of their wealth in the hope of easy riches. Millions up all night, frantically trying to sell their shares while there was some little return to be had, or else obliviously asleep, unaware of the financial disaster that awaited them when they awoke.

"Unfortunately, the broader financial damage is looking to be even worse," Katrina went on. "The combined value of the affected assets runs to about ten trillion pounds, or a quarter of the empire's entire GDP. Factoring in other losses, we are likely to lose approximately twenty to thirty per cent of all circulating currency."

Twenty to thirty per cent. A fifth to a third of all the money currently racing around the Imperial economy. The thought was almost too horrible to contemplate.

"Lord Grey." Schneizel turned to the officer. "Your thoughts?"

Grey shifted uncomfortably in his chair. There was something not quite right about his posture, making Schneizel wonder just how well he had recovered from his injuries.

"A disaster, your highness, and there's no denying it. We had six hundred and fifty thousand personnel at Area 11, most of them likely to be dead or prisoners very soon. But that isn't the half of it."

The screen changed again, now showing a map of the world, with the major deployments of Britannian forces marked by icons, and Britannian territory marked in suitably regal blue.

There was a lot of it. It still amazed him how much of it, for all that it had cost, and himself.

The 'homeland' of North America and Greenland, and the first six areas down in South America; which had been part of the empire for nearly a century. Across the Atlantic, most of Africa was now Britannian blue, except for the east coastal nations; the Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zanzibar, and Mozambique. Further inland lay Katanga, and the Federation of the Congo, between them cutting across southern Africa to the Atlantic. Further north lay the still-resisting core territory of the European Union, and to the east the Middle-east, now dominated by the purple-painted land of Persia, beyond which lay the great crimson expanse of the Chinese Federation. To its north in turn lay Russia, now the domain of Euro-Britannia, which had also pushed down into Turkey, and across the Ukraine and Poland, and into the Balkans.

So much land. So many resources. So many lives.

So much destruction. So much death.

"Euro-Britannia has all but hit its limit," Grey went on. "They've made no territorial progress for the past year, and the EU will almost certainly launch a full-scale counter-attack once they realise how bad the situation is. They're down to less than two million troops available for combat, and the EU can throw at least that many at them if they throw in their reserves. Our forces in Africa are down to 2 million, guarding long borders. In the homeland, we have two million troops for mobile operations, half of which are still in training. We also have four million troops tied down in garrisons and counter-insurgency operations."

He paused.

"Your highness, this represents about the limit of our usable military manpower. Even if we introduced conscription, we could make no serious increase without cutting into the workforce to a dangerous degree. The ten million troops we have now represent what remains of our surplus manpower remotely suitable for military service. The only way to significantly increase our manpower would be to reinstate the recruitment of Honourary Britannians across our entire territory, not just in Euro-Britannia."

Schneizel did not bother to say what he knew they were all thinking. The Purist faction had been mildly embarrassed by a certain incident in Area 11 a few months earlier, but they remained a strong presence in Britannian politics. It was because of them that the recruitment of Honourary Britannians had gradually been forbidden, and the rights and opportunities of Honourary Britannians had slowly and quietly been eroded.

A few months earlier, his younger sister Euphemia had been prevented from giving an art award for a painting she liked, because the artist in question had one Number grandparent.

Euphemia…

"Let's put that aside for the moment," he said, diplomatically. "Lord Grey, what are your thoughts on the situation with the Chinese Federation? What are they likely to do?"

Grey zoomed the map in on south-east Asia, centred on China.

"If they choose to escalate further, they can go north or south," he said. "South against Area 10 in Indochina, or north against Siberia."

"We cannot afford to lose Siberia," Katrina cut in. "If anything, its loss would be even worse than Area 11. We get hydrocarbons, iron ore, rare metals, even a little sakuradite from there. Losing them would seriously impact our war production."

The room was silent, all eyes upon him. Schneizel let them stare, as he chose his words.

"You mention war production, Katrina," he said. "Frances, what would be the effect of losing Area 11?"

"In direct terms, the currency issue is the biggest problem," Frances Brandon replied. "Our military industries are focussed primarily on government contracts, which means they depend on government money to pay their expenses. A reduction in the currency supply like this will reduce all economic activity, and ultimately the government's tax revenues. Without those revenues, we can't pay the contractors, and they can't build any weapons."

She paused for effect. Schneizel had understood such matters when he was ten years old, but he didn't see the point in making an issue of it.

"We can resolve the currency issue," Katrina cut in, as if one cue. "But the crown will need to issue gilts, and the Imperial Bank must buy them."

"That still leaves a further issue," Frances went on. "Our economy is utterly dependent on Area 11's sakuradite. We've had it effectively on tap for nearly eight years, and it's found its way into just about everything. At current usage, we will run out of sakuradite in one year at the most; two years if we have access to all known private stockpiles."

"In other words, we lose the war," Grey cut in.

"We lose our whole economy," retorted Frances, shooting Grey a quick glare. "Sakuradite-based superconductors turn up just about everywhere. Power supply, internet provision, transport, construction, shipbuilding, vehicles in general, even consumer goods. The amount of sakuradite used in phones has gone up by fifty per cent over the past seven years."

"Madness, in my view," grumbled Grey. "Much more and you could use them as hand grenades."

Schneizel allowed him a slight smile, just to keep the mood from getting too dark.

"Your highness, I have already formulated a plan to remedy this," Frances went on. "We must restrict commercial access to key resources, and institute waste-reduction measures across the whole economy. If implemented, our sakuradite reserve can be extended to four years while maintaining current levels of war production."

"That's easier said than done," Julio Ridolfi interjected, a sour look on his face. "These are all good plans as far as they go, but implementing them will not be easy."

Schneizel nodded, and turned to Morfin Goronwy. The lawyer acknowledged him with cool reserve.

"Your highness, I'm afraid Mister Ridolfi is right. To implement these plans will require either an Imperial edict or a vote of the legislature; ideally both."

Schneizel nodded politely, forcing himself not to grit his teeth.

He was the Chancellor, the Emperor's proxy, and had many of his powers. But not all of his powers, and certainly not the powers he needed there and then. His father could rule by decree, but even he had respected the custom established by Empress Claire, putting his bills before the Senate and the House of Lords to be debated, voted-upon, and signed. It was unheard-of for an Imperial bill to be outright refused, though requests for clarification on certain points could drag the process out.

He had to force his face not to sag, to frown. If he had the Emperor's name on his bills, then passing them would be a formality.

But he did not have the Emperor's name. For the Emperor was nowhere to be found.

"He's gone there again."

He was doing it more and more these days. Disappearing into the depths of the palace, into a strange place where even Schneizel dared not follow him; where black-robed guards denied him entry. While he was there, there could be no edicts, and no Imperial bills. Schneizel had to get by on his own, persuading the senate through charm, rhetoric, bribery, and the occasional threat. Otherwise he bypassed it, pulling rank on random unfortunates further down the hierarchy, and hoping that no one bothered to make an issue of it.

It mostly worked. Few were inclined to refuse the gracious request of an Imperial prince, especially if he was also the Chancellor. And even the senate and the lords were generally inclined to do his bidding, at least if he was polite about it, and no one insisted on seeing the Emperor's signature or seal.

But these were not usual times, or usual matters.

"He's never here." The bitter, treasonous thoughts hovered in the back of his mind. "He doesn't care about any of this. He doesn't care about being Emperor."

"Julio," he said, turning to his PR advisor. "Let us assume that we must deal with the senate. What sort of response can we expect?"

Julio cleared his throat, taking just a little too long about it. Not a good sign.

"You may depend upon the arms lobby to back the bills," he said. "Such legislation benefits them, after all. But many in the industrial lobbies will be against Katrina's anti-wastage measures. Such policies would look suspiciously like a war economy, your highness."

"A return to my grandfather's day, you mean?" Schneizel asked, mildly.

"That is what they will say, your highness."

Schneizel knew what he meant. The Britannian public liked battles and glory and victory, but they liked their ever-rising standard of living just as much. Total war, of the sort their grandparents and great-grandparents had endured under Theseus the Great, was unlikely to appeal to them.

"There will also be calls for more economic deregulation," Julio went on. "Including a lowering of interest rates, and a weakening of banking regulations."

"Oh that's a great idea!" snorted Katrina. "Letting the banks run wild at a time like this! And cutting interest rates will make government bonds worthless, including war bonds!"

"Frankly, your highness," Julio went on, ignoring her, "this is relatively mild, and manageable. The real problem will be the loss of Area 11, not to mention the…loss of Princess Euphemia. The public will not take kindly to us abandoning territory, especially not to the one who caused her death."

"We don't know for certain that Zero was responsible," Kanon cut in. "All evidence points to a lone-wolf Eleven who got lucky."

"With all due respect to Lord Maldini, the public will not accept that," insisted Julio. "No one wants to believe that someone like her late highness can be killed by a mere lone wolf. They will demand something more, and if we do not provide a narrative, the press will provide its own; and one that we cannot so easily control."

Schneizel felt something cold and dark wrap itself around his heart. Bad enough that Euphemia was dead. Bad enough that he would never see those bright eyes again. Bad enough that he had her mother, the Queen-Consort Victoria, to contend with. He could only pray, to a God he had never really believed in, that she didn't do something rash.

They would use Euphemia against him. They would wave her like a battle flag, demanding blood and sacrifice in her name. They would blow it up into some kind of twisted crusade, with her as their holy maiden, their voiceless martyr. The war would go on, and all his hopes would crumble into dust.

"Turn a blind eye, Euphie. Turn a blind eye."

"Your highness, I fear that Mister Ridolfi is right," Grey cut in. "I can speak for soldiers, certainly. They will not accept excuses, or positive spin. They will want to know what it is they have been fighting for, if the land they bled to claim can be abandoned, their sacrifices dishonoured, and a foe permitted to attack us with impunity."

All eyes were upon him. They were always upon him.

"Two brothers, and two sisters," he said, his voice as cold as a neutron star. "Clovis, Lelouch, Euphemia, Nunnally. That is what Area 11 has cost me. Their lives were my family's sacrifice that Japan might be Area 11, and Britannia might have sakuradite. Anyone who doubts my absolute commitment to the wellbeing of our empire should bear that in mind."

He had unsettled them, he could tell. It was harsh of him to say, he knew, but it had to be said.

"Your highness, we are here because we do not doubt it," said Katrina. There was a fervour in her eyes that had not been there before. "We are here because your highness saw value in us, for all our faults. Without you, there is nothing we can do. Without you, the empire is lost."

Schneizel looked back at them, taking in their faces, their eyes, remembering their stories. It was as Katrina had said. They were all outcasts, off-cuts, misfits, people who for whatever reason didn't fit into Britannian society, or had made the wrong enemies for the wrong reasons. They were people whose talents he had noted, whose loyalty he had won, with the opportunities they deserved, and the chance to save Britannia from itself.

Now they looked to him. Now they needed him to lead, to decide, to bear the agony.

Someone had to. And it might as well be him.

Except it wouldn't just be him.

"It seems to me," he began, "that there is no military option in dealing with the Chinese Federation. They have won this round, and we must salvage what we can. I have the beginnings of a plan to deal with them, one that will solve the problem of the Chinese Federation forever, and solve our Area 11 problem at the same time. But this cannot happen if we are forced into direct military action against the Chinese Federation, and the situation escalates. Such action must be prevented, and the people's anger must be appeased."

He glanced at Kanon, and saw the look the young man was giving him.

"I think I can persuade the Grand Eunuchs to do what I need them to do," he went on. "But someone will have to pay the price of failure."

He paused, meeting their eyes. Not one wavered. Not one demurred.

"Julio, have your team start sounding out senators. I want to know what they want, and how they will respond. Lord Grey, I want you to keep an eye on the military situation. Katrina, watch the stock market and keep me informed of any sudden changes. Frances, I want you to prepare me a full, formal proposal for your economy measures, something I can present in council. Morfin, please assist Frances for now. I will sound out the lords, and see where they stand. That will be all."

All stood, and all bowed. They filed out in silence, leaving only Kanon. He stood by his chair, regarding Schneizel with those eyes.

"I know who it must be," he said again, staring at the screen. "If it were only him…"

But it would not be. Not even close.

(X)

Minobu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

Lelouch shivered.

He had hoped it would not be so. He had almost prayed that what he had found at Nambu that morning would not be waiting for him at Minobu.

He watched through the window as the doors of the carriage in front clunked open, and a squad of troopers, looted Britannian rifles at the ready, came hurrying out. He watched them spread out across the platform, and vanishing down the exit halls.

Standing nearby, Kento Sugiyama listened to his comm earpiece.

"All clear," he said. Lelouch nodded, and followed him onto the platform. Kallen fell in behind him, accompanied by Benio Akagi. The younger girl seemed quite attached to Kallen, and had stayed as close to her as possible since they had left Tokyo. Xingke followed on as well, his cold eyes watchful.

They found themselves in the main concourse, in a scene of chaos. Anything capable of being destroyed had been destroyed. The information screens had been smashed, the seats torn out and ripped open, the ticket machines toppled over and wrenched open. There were bullet holes in the walls, and obscene slogans daubed in what he could only hope was paint.

"What happened here?" Benio asked, looking around in horrified bewilderment. "Who would do this?"

"Marauders," Lelouch replied, ignoring his churning stomach. "Seven years of oppression getting purged. We must…"

A crackle of gunfire rang from the front of the station. Lelouch tensed, and Kallen pulled out her gun in reflex.

"Clear!" called one the black-clad troopers, standing by the front door. Lelouch strode up the door, and out into the afternoon sunlight. A full squad of Black Knights were spread out over the street, while more were checking the nearby buildings.

They were all damaged. All had windows broken, doors broken in, drainpipes torn down and even window shutters ripped off. And many were splattered with the same vicious graffiti.

This was not mere hooliganism. There was hate here. Seven years of hate.

He glanced to his left, and saw two large, six-wheeled trucks standing idle on the road. The cabs were open, and two of his troopers stood by the foremost truck, glaring down at a body slumped against the front wheel.

"He took a shot at us, Zero," said one of the troopers. Lelouch recognized him as Sergeant Masayoshi Tanaka; a grim-faced, competent young man who had risen rapidly in the Black Knights.

Lelouch stepped closer, and took in the sight. A young man, like so many others, clad in dirty and dust-stained civilian clothes, his chest left a bloody ruin by a tight burst of fire. The trooper with Tanaka, whose name Lelouch could not remember, held up the dead man's weapon; a black-market carbine, common among the rebels.

"It couldn't be helped," he said. "Check these trucks to…"

"Halt!"

Lelouch looked up with a start, his companions snapping up their rifles. A group of men were hurrying down the road towards them, weapons at the ready. Some carried riot shields and handguns, while others had carbines and shotguns. Emblazed on the shields was the golden flower emblem of the National Security Police.

"Drop your weapons!" one of the policemen bellowed. "Drop them now!"

"Like hell!" retorted Shinichiro Tamaki, snapping up his rifle. The other Black Knights did likewise, and Kallen moved to shield Benio, her hand dropping to her gun once again.

"Enough! Enough of this!" Lelouch called out, stepping into the gap with his hands outstretched. "We are the Black Knights! We have not come for violence!"

The policemen paused, seemingly taken aback. They probably hadn't expected Zero to show up himself.

"I am Zero!" he called out, stopping in the gap between the police and his Black Knights. "The enemy of those who abuse their power! Who is your commander?"

For a few moments there was silence. The officers glared at him, eyes bright with fear and hard with hate. Their uniforms were stained and torn, their visible skin cut and bruised. Whatever was going on in the town, they had been in the thick of it.

"And I am their enemy," Lelouch thought.

All at once, one of the officers pushed through the line and stepped forward. It was a tall man, with an oblong, square-jawed face that gave him an air of solidity; marred only by the lines around his eyes, and the cold emptiness of his eyes. Like his fellows, he wore the uniform of the National Security Police; blue jacket and trousers, with an orange vest over the jacket, and tall boots with white gaiters.

"I am Captain Goto," the officer introduced himself. "I have the honour to command the police of this town."

His tone was calm, but full of weariness; the tone of a man who had seen and felt too much.

"Captain," Lelouch greeted him. "We are here on an urgent matter, and it looks like you need help."

One of the policemen cursed, and all kept their glaring eyes firmly on him.

"So you're offering to help us," Goto mused, in that same calm tone. "Very well then. You can lay down your weapons and surrender to the judgement of the law, or you can get back on your train and leave our town, right now."

The Black Knights bristled, a wave and anger and dismay running through them. Lelouch mastered himself. He could not show weakness, not now.

"I do not wish to fight you, Captain," he said. "But I cannot comply with your demands. Nor do I understand them."

Goto's face remained impassive.

"I am an officer of the National Security Police," he said. "I take my orders from the National Administrative Council, the legitimate government of Japan. Those orders are to regard you as a terrorist and an enemy of the state."

"Say what?" Tamaki looked as confused as he was angry. "We're the Black Knights! We're authorised by the Kyoto Six!"

"I know nothing about that," replied Goto, mildly.

"They're the same group, jackass!"

Lelouch paused. He had known this would happen, of course. The Six Houses of Kyoto were supporting him, but the NAC – their public front – was not. Kirihara and his confederates doubtless wanted to hedge their best, and not commit openly until they were certain that Britannia wasn't coming back.

This was not a problem. Except when dealing with those of the NAC's servants too lowly to be taken into their confidence.

Like Captain Goto. And countless others like him all over Japan.

"You must realise, Captain," he went on, keeping his tone polite and reasonable. "Japan has risen against Britannia. The forces of the Chinese Federation have intervened on our behalf. Britannia's cause is hopeless. You gain nothing by continuing in your obedience to them."

"Zero, I believe I said that I answer to the NAC, not Britannia," Goto replied, his tone sour. "Also, we have orders that the Chinese forces have intervened to restore order, and we are to offer them all assistance."

The muttering among the Black Knights rose to a rumble. Lelouch felt a shiver of uncertainty, of fear. Had the Eunuchs betrayed him already? It was fast, even by their standards.

"I am Major Li Xingke, of the Chinese armed forces," Xingke spoke up, stepping forward. "I can assure you that the Chinese Federation regards the Black Knights as its ally, and not its enemy."

All fell silent. Some of the police officers glanced at each-other. Even the emotionless Goto seemed a little nonplussed.

"If you are a soldier of China, then what is the password for today?" he asked, fixing Xingke with a gimlet stare.

"He who wishes to fight must first count the cost," replied Xingke, without hesitation.

Goto did not reply, and for a moment Lelouch feared that Xingke had gotten it wrong.

"Password accepted, Major Li." Goto snapped to attention and saluted, his officers gaping at him in disbelief. "We are at your disposal."

"Then you will tell us what has happened here," ordered Xingke.

"An hour ago, a large number of men arrived in trucks like those." Goto gestured towards the two trucks. "They began attacking the townspeople, looting the buildings and killing anyone who resisted, including my officers."

"What about the hospital?" demanded Kallen, stepping forward. "Is the hospital safe?"

Goto glanced from her to Zero, cocking an eyebrow.

"My comrade here has a loved one inside the secure hospital," Lelouch explained. "We came to rescue her."

Goto paused, and Lelouch's heart sank. Some of the policemen glanced dubiously at one-another.

"I don't have any information," he said eventually. "But several did go in that direction."

Lelouch turned to face his Black Knights, forcing himself not to look at the colour draining from Kallen's face.

"Sugiyama! Kallen! Take a platoon and go to the hospital! Take those trucks!" He turned to face Goto again. "Can you provide a guide?"

Goto glanced pointedly at Xingke, who gave him a stern nod.

"Fujibashi!" Goto called out. One of the officers strode forward to join them. "Show them the way to the hospital."

"Yes sir!" Fujibashi saluted stiffly, then strode towards the trucks.

Lelouch waited until the trucks had left, roaring away along the street with thirty Black Knights piled in between them, before returning his attention to Captain Goto.

"Where are the townspeople?" he asked.

"Those we could find have been evacuated to the centre of town," Goto replied. "There are still some attackers moving around."

"Sergeant Takatsuki, keep a platoon here and secure the station," Lelouch ordered. "Get the knightmares out, we might need them."

"Yes Zero!"

The rest of us will go with Captain Goto to the town centre, and work from there."

"As you wish."

(X)

Kallen's heart hammered, and her stomach churned.

The trucks raced through the streets at breakneck speed. Standing behind the cab, she had a clear view of the streets around them.

What she saw made her sick to her stomach, and the depths of her soul. Doors were smashed in, windows broken, the glass lying glittering in the street, ripped curtains hanging limply. But far worse than that were the bodies, lying discarded in the streets, or hanging by the necks from lampposts.

No, it hadn't happened. She wasn't dead. She could not be dead!

Tyres screeched as the truck rounded a corner. Kallen hung on tight, as a tirade of curses erupted from the cab below. She couldn't blame Fujibashi for being irate. Sugiyama was driving like a madman.

And so would she, in his place. For her mother's sake. For Naoto's sake.

Another street, but the buildings were less dense, more spaced-out. They were reaching the edge of town.

And there it was. The secure hospital, looming before them like a threat. It looked like a prison, for a prison was essentially what it was. Slab-sided, featureless, like a lot of Britannian architecture, and so unlike the modern Japanese buildings that still made up most of the town. A wall surrounded it, but a wall meant to keep people in, not out.

"Go!" she yelled, as the truck screeched to a halt in front of the main door. The Black Knights, her comrades, needed no second telling. They leapt down, racing across the road, rifles at the ready. She jumped down after them, and raced inside, Benio hot on her heels.

Then she faltered, stomach roiling, blood cold in her veins. The foyer of the hospital was in ruins. Security doors had been blasted open, windows shattered, computers ripped open and smashed all over the floor. Seats had been torn open and tossed about, potted plants thrown down and crushed. And upon the walls, pock-marked with bullet holes, were yet more obscene slogans.

"Spread out! Find them!"

As the troopers spilled into the corridors, Kallen looked frantically about, trying to work out where her mother might be. Spotting the sign to the east wing wards, she dashed through the doorway. The corridor beyond was empty, the lights flickering where they had been shot out, the air still smelling faintly of antiseptic.

All at once, she reached the east wing. There was another foyer, with a reception desk, and more corridors leading away to the individual wards. They had heavy-looking doors, hanging open with scorched and blasted locks. Kallen thought to check the reception computers, but they too had been smashed.

A chatter of gunfire rang down the corridor behind her. She drew her gun, and advanced down the first corridor to her left. Her heart jumped into her mouth, as she saw two bodies lying on the floor.

Young men, both wearing white uniforms, both Japanese from the look of them. Probably porters, definitely dead.

Kallen stepped past them, gun at the ready, eyes darting left and right, ears straining for danger. There was another door up ahead on her right, marked DISPENSARY in English and Japanese. Kallen eased it open, then poked her head round, ready to shoot.

There was no one there. Just another scene of chaos and ruin. The medicines had been torn from their racks, the cabinets smashed open. Boxes and broken bottles lay scattered on the floor, the fluids mingling together in a strange-smelling mess, with tables and pills slowly dissolving into it.

And behind the counter was a middle-aged woman, a Britannian from the look of her, in a white labcoat. She lay slumped against the wall, pale and unmoving, her coat turning red from a small black hole in her chest.

"Captain?" It was Benio, waiting by the door.

"Don't come in here!" snapped Kallen, almost losing control. She had quite forgotten about Benio, and felt a surge of anger and shame. A young girl like her shouldn't have been there, shouldn't have been seeing this!

But she was there. And it was too late to do anything about it.

"She's not here," she said, stepping out into the corridor. She felt a twinge of guilt, like she ought to say something, or do something. But she couldn't think of anything. Not even a prayer.

She looked down the corridor, to where the patients' rooms were, and the common room. She dreaded the thought of having to go down there, of what she might find. But she had no choice. She had to…

A sound from the foyer made her look up. It sounded like a crash, and maybe a scream.

Kallen darted out into the corridor and looked around. Where had it come from? She paused, straining her ears, try to…

There it was again. Down one of the corridors, marked WARD E4.

"Benio, listen to me," she hissed. "I need you to keep watch. Get behind the reception desk and stay hidden. If the bad guys come, shout or fire your gun. Understand?"

"Yes…Captain."

Benio obeyed, but she sounded dubious. Kallen felt a fool, but couldn't think of any other way. The girl had been sticking to her like glue.

She crept down the corridor, alert for any sign of danger. There was another corpse in the corridor, this one a middle-aged man in a white labcoat. Hating herself for her callousness, Kallen stepped around it. On and on she went, watching out for…

"Where are they!"

A thump, and a cry of pain. Kallen hurried towards it, stepping carefully to stay silent; or as close as she could manage. She reached the opposite end of the corridor, and found a door marked STORES.

"Don't start up with me!" That voice again, in Japanese. A woman's voice, full of anger. Another thump, another cry. "Where are they?"

"There's no one here!" Another woman's voice, in Japanese. "Please! This is a hospital!"

Anger rising within her, Kallen peered around the door. It was some kind of storeroom, with tall racks of what looked like rolled sheets and blankets. At the opposite end was a man, in civilian clothes, menacing a young woman with short brown hair, wearing what appeared to be a nurse's uniform. Her face was bruised, and there was blood on her shirt.

"Collaborator!" The woman slapped the nurse across the face, making her cry out. "Protecting these worthless druggies!"

Furious, Kallen stepped around the doorway, aiming her gun straight at the woman. The nurse saw her, and her eyes bulged in surprise.

"Get away from her!" Kallen snapped. "Get away from her, or I'll shoot you!"

The woman snapped her head round. She was not particularly old, only a few years older than Kallen. But her eyes were heavy with hate, a hate Kallen had seen in countless other eyes, in the ghettoes and the shanty towns, all across Japan.

"Get bent!" the woman snarled. "This is justice!"

"Put your hands up!" Kallen ordered, fighting to control her fury.

The woman glared, and then began to turn. Only then did Kallen notice the strap hanging over her back, and saw the machine pistol it had been holding. It was in the woman's hand, and she was aiming it at Kallen.

Kallen barely felt herself squeeze the trigger, or the gun buck as it fired. The bullet struck the woman in the chest, throwing her back onto the nurse; making her shriek. The dying woman rolled off her, crashed into a nearby rack, and slumped to the floor.

Kallen stepped closer, but the nurse shrieked and tried to back away, pressing herself against the wall behind, clutching her arms.

"No!" she wailed. "Please! I'm just a nurse! I didn't mean anything!"

"N…no!" Kallen stammered, bewildered. "I won't hurt you! I need your help!"

"They did nothing wrong!" The nurse slumped to the floor, thrashing and clutching at her head. "We didn't do anything!"

"Hey!" Kallen squatted down and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Come on! Snap out of it!"

"No…don't…".

The sound ran through her like lightning. Kallen snapped her head around, and only then saw the figure cowering in the darkness, hidden from sight behind the racks. The figure pulled itself forward, and Kallen could see more of them back there, staring out through dull, bewildered eyes.

"No!" the nurse shrieked, grabbing her jacket. "Leave them alone! Please! Please don't!"

But Kallen barely heard her. Her eyes were on the woman pulling herself into the light.

"It's…all right," she croaked, in that voice still distorted by Refrain. "Kallen…"

It was her. That long brown hair. That round, still-youthful face that had once caught a Britannian noble's eye. Those eyes, so weary, and yet so bright.

"Mom?" She could barely hear herself say it.

"Kallen…". Hana Kozuki finally smiled. "My little girl…".

Kallen let out a wail, and flung herself at her mother, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tight. She felt her mother's arms wrap around her, thin and frail, and yet still familiar. She howled out her anguish and relief, tears she could no longer contain running down her face.

"You came…" her mother croaked. "I…knew…you would…"

Kallen heard the nurse gasp. She looked up, and tensed as she saw a man creeping slowly towards them, a carbine at the ready. She reached for her gun, then saw it lying on the floor where she had dropped it, just out of reach.

"Don't move…" the man growled. "Don't you try it."

He wore civilian clothes, which like those of the dead woman were faded and stained with dust. He looked as if he had come from a ghetto, or one of the many shanty towns. But there was no mistaking the hatred in his eyes.

"I'm from the Black Knights," Kallen said, holding out a hand to placate him. She couldn't think of anything else to do. "I'm taking these people away from here."

"You're going nowhere…" the gunman snarled, twitching his carbine at her, as if to goad her. "The only place these druggies are going is hell!"

The nurse cowered, whimpering. Kallen fixed her eyes on him, staring right back at him. She could not bend, not now.

"What did they ever do to you?" she asked, glowering. "They're no threat to you!"

"They took the drugs!" The gunman was shaking with rage. "They took Britannia's poison! They're traitors!"

Kallen's heart raged. She wanted to hurl herself at him, but she didn't dare, not with her mother so close. If she could only…

"Stop it!"

The cry made her look up. It was Benio, standing in the doorway, handgun held two-handed, aimed straight at the gunman. The gunman snapped around, turning his blazing eyes upon her.

"Benio!" Kallen cried out, shocked. If she could only reach the gun.

"Another one!" sneered the gunman. "Drop it, kanojo! Don't think I won't kill you!"

"I mean it!" snapped Benio. She was shaking, her eyes wide with fear and fury. "Leave Captain Kozuki alone!"

The gunman glared, and Kallen could see the fury rising in his eyes.

Then she saw his hand, the trigger finger beginning to squeeze. She opened her mouth to scream.

The crack rang through the storeroom like a thunderclap. The gunman staggered, screaming in agony as blood gushed from the wound in his shoulder. Kallen dived, grabbing her dropped gun and bringing it up. She fired, her shot catching him in the chest, and then another, and another. The impacts threw the gunman back, slamming him into the rack. He slumped down, the clean white sheets stained red with his blood.

"Damn…you…".

Blood dribbled from his mouth, and the light faded from his eyes.

For a few moments, Kallen stared at the dead man. She realised that she had never actually done it before. She had downed plenty of knightmares, and a couple of gunships, but always at the controls of a knightmare. She had never killed someone like this before, not with a gun, up close. Now that she thought about it, neither had Benio.

Benio…

Kallen looked up at Benio. The girl was still standing there, shaking like a leaf, eyes bulging with horror.

"I…I…" she stammered, the colour draining from her face. "I…I didn't…".

Kallen felt sick, and ashamed. She was responsible for this girl, but she had let her come along. She should have ordered her to stay at the station, or down with the trucks. But she was so distracted with worrying about her mother, she hadn't thought about it.

She turned to her mother, dreading what she would see in her eyes. There was fear there, but no condemnation, no hate.

"Kallen," she said. "She's…crying…"

Kallen looked back to Benio. The gun fell from her hands, and she clutched at her head, tears running down her face.

"No!" she whimpered. "No, no…I didn't…I didn't mean to…."

Kallen stood up, holstered her gun, and strode over to Benio. She wrapped her arms around the younger girl, and held her tight.

"You saved us," she whispered. "You saved us all."

"Why?" wailed Benio, clinging to her like the frightened child she still was. "Why?"

Kallen didn't know why. She had no answer for her, no explanation as to why her own people were turning on one-another, how they could hate each other so much. No words seemed appropriate. No words seemed meaningful. She wished she could shield Benio from what she had done, what she had been forced to do. She wished she could take back the suffering Benio had endured.

But she could not. Nothing, and no one, ever could.

"We have to go, Benio-chan," she said, drawing back and looking the younger girl in the eyes. "We have to get everyone out of here, and down to the trucks. Can you do that for me?"

Benio sniffed, and Kallen's heart lightened as she saw the girl begin to master herself.

"Yes!" she declared, her voice hoarse from crying. "Yes, captain!"

(X)

The town centre was much like any other, in Japan or across the world.

Minobu's most important buildings were located there; and they were much the sort of buildings one would expect in a small town. There was the town hall, the police station, a library, a school, a university, and a selection of shops.

But today was not a normal day. The streets were not thronged with people going about their daily business, but desperate unfortunates milling about, waiting for the crisis to end. The shops were closed, unless their stocks included necessaries such as food, or medicine, or blankets. The larger buildings were being used as makeshift hospitals, or mortuaries. Apart from the local doctor and a police medic, the only staff were local volunteers, along with some priests and monks from a nearby temple, who had come down to lend a hand.

It was all Lelouch could do not to shiver as he regarded it all, looking down from the window of the mayor's office. He had tried to ignore the smell of sweat and blood and fear, or the cries of the bereaved as they learned the fate of loved ones. He had forced himself not to stare as the hanged were taken down, or the newly-dead carried out, their bodies wrapped in sheets and carried away.

But worst of all was their eyes, and not just when he had arrived. Still they looked at him, stared at him, when they thought he could not see them. Their eyes, full of yearning and desperate hope.

For Zero was here. Their Zero. Their man of destiny. The man who had come to deliver them from their enemies.

But he hadn't known. He hadn't known or cared about Minobu, except that it was the place where Kallen's mother could be found. He hadn't known or cared about what was happening to these people.

But still they had hoped. Still they had thronged. Still they had cried out to him, believed in him, hung on his every word.

He felt ashamed. But there was no time for that now.

Behind him, Xingke sat at the mayor's desk. Its original inhabitant was under a sheet in one of the makeshift morgues, but as fate would have it, his office had been spared; that, and the sophisticated comm interface installed in the building. Xingke was using it to communicate with his fellows; using what a casual listener would dismiss as an obscure Chinese dialect.

"Well?" he asked, as Xingke finished his call. The major stood up from his chair, as if Lelouch might want to use it. A curiously decorous fellow, in spite of everything.

"My contact has confirmed Goto's claims," he said. "The NAC have ordered their NSP forces to oppose the rebellion as far as possible. Also, Britannia and China have issued a joint declaration that they are cooperating to suppress disorder in Area 11."

Lelouch almost spluttered. Disorder in Area 11? Was that what they called it?

"Is that really what they're saying?"

"They've claimed that the bombardment was intended to suppress rebel forces, some of which had partially overrun settlements," Xingke went on. "Any attacks on Britannian forces were purely accidental, and highly exaggerated by rebel propaganda."

Behind his mask, Lelouch gritted his teeth as he tried to think. Had the Grand Eunuchs turned on him already? Or were they playing some kind of double game?

"Did they receive any orders to attack rebel forces?"

"No Zero, they did not."

"What about the Britannians?"

"They've been ordered not to fire on Britannians unless fired upon. This has not happened since the declaration."

He could use his Geass. There were no witnesses there. He could make Xingke tell him the truth, reveal all his secrets, all his motives, answer all his questions.

His stomach churned. He could do it so easily, but then…

"I need to make a call," he said. "Go and bring Captain Goto, and wait outside until I call for you."

Xingke nodded in acknowledgement, and strode out of the office, the door sliding shut behind him. Lelouch stepped around the desk, and activated the comm system. It took him only a few moments to connect to the Black Knights network, and contact Diethard Reid.

"Zero," the blonde Britannian's face looked strained, as it flashed into being in front of him. "I have urgent news."

"The NAC has denounced us, and the Britannians and Chinese have issued a joint statement that they are cooperating to suppress us."

Diethard looked surprised.

"Zero, how did you…?"

"The local police captain just informed me," Lelouch replied. "And Xingke's contacts in the Chinese forces have confirmed it. Your opinion, Diethard."

Diethard blinked, then mastered himself.

"The NAC denounced us, but we knew that would happen," he said. "They are seeking to hedge their bets, and ensure that if our rebellion fails, then they have a means of ingratiating themselves with Britannia."

"If so, then they are fools," replied Lelouch. "Even if Britannia is unaware of their duplicity, it will not forgive their failure."

"Very likely, Zero. But it seems unlikely that they would be so short-sighted. It may be nothing more than an attempt to dissuade the Britannians from attacking Kyoto."

It made sense. With Tokyo settlement fallen, the largest settlements still in Britannian hands were Osaka and Nagoya; twin fortresses that dominated the eastern Kansai region. If the Britannians so chose, they could reoccupy Kyoto relatively easily; thus extending their defence line to Lake Biwa. Little surprise then that the NAC was unwilling to provoke Britannia, at least for the moment.

"Of greater concern is the joint declaration from the Britannians and the Chinese Federation," he went on. "Xingke insists that the Chinese forces have no orders to attack us or any other rebel forces. Do you know of anything else?"

"Actually we do, Zero. We've been getting some strange comm traffic from the Britannians."

"Explain."

"The units in Hokkaido and Kyushu have been receiving orders to fall back from their positions on the coast, and concentrate on protecting the civilian population while it evacuates."

That brought Lelouch up short. It didn't make any sense. Why would Britannian troops abandon their defences? Even if their situation was hopeless, fighting to the death would at least delay the Chinese and rebel advance for a few days. A few days that would allow the Imperial navy to intervene.

"Are the troops evacuating as well?"

"Some seem to be. But they're not happy about the situation. Also, there are reports of Britannian units coming under air attack from planes with Japanese markings."

"Did they say what types?" Lelouch asked, intrigued.

"One report mentioned Chinese J4 fighters."

"Interesting."

Lelouch thought fast. Chinese J4 Dongfeng fighters, a type withdrawn from service decades ago, and widely exported. Those planes could have come from anywhere, and be piloted by anyone. Plausible deniability.

"We have no choice," he declared. "We must trust Kyoto and the Chinese Federation, at least for now. But there is something strange going on here. Continue with the preparations, and keep an ear open for anything new. Also, prepare a company of militia and send them to Minobu on the first available train."

"Yes, Zero."

Lelouch ended the call, and sat back in the chair, trying to calm his mind.

The Chinese Federation had promised to help him; but they were claiming to help the Britannians. They had not actually attacked him, and were covertly attacking the Britannians. At the same time, Britannian troops were being prevented from engaging Chinese troops.

The Britannians and the Chinese were colluding. It was the only explanation that made sense. Britannia was deliberately allowing the Chinese Federation to take over parts of Japan, while making it look like they were helping to suppress the rebellion.

But…the Chinese were helping the rebellion too! Was it not obvious? Could someone in the upper echelons of Britannia's government really be that naïve?

Or was it something else? Was this deliberate? And if so, why? What could possess them to give up Area 11 and its sakuradite?

Was Britannia weaker than he'd calculated? Was its will to fight failing? Or was something else going on?

His head ached. He couldn't deal with this now. He would have to…

"Zero?" Someone was knocking on the door. "It's Tanaka."

"What is it?" Lelouch called out, suppressing his irritation at having his train of thought derailed.

"Tamaki has returned. He has prisoners."

Lelouch's blood ran cold, driving away the weariness. He had half-hoped that the marauders would fight to the death, that he would not have to deal with this. But no such luck.

"I'm coming."

He switched off the screen, and stood up. He followed Tanaka down the corridor, down the stairs, and out the back of the building. Their route took them to a car park, where a number of his Black Knights stood, including Shinichiro Tamaki.

They formed a loose circle, within which knelt the prisoners, hands behind their heads. They were mostly men, with a few women, much like those encountered elsewhere in the town. They wore civilian clothes, all worn and dust-stained, splattered with blood; their faces hardened by deprivation, their eyes resentful. They were twenty-eight of them, with millions more just like them all across Japan; those who had scratched a living at the edges of what had once been their own society. They had sought revenge, and their revenge had led them down a dark path.

Lelouch stepped forward, positioning himself so that they could see him clearly. Some stared at him in disbelief, but most just glared; their eyes full of bitterness.

Time to settle this.

"I am Zero," he called out. "Leader of the Black Knights. Enemy of those who abuse their power."

A pause for effect, as he scanned his eyes over them, watching for some sign, some hint of threat.

"I called upon the Japanese to rise, to throw off the oppression of Britannia, and bring freedom to these islands," he went on. "I called upon you to fight for freedom and justice, and liberate those in bondage."

He paused, a terrible anger bubbling inside him.

"But you did not seem to understand," he went on, anger hardening his tone. "You took it as license to steal, and burn, and kill. How do you account for this? At what time or place did I bid you do this?"

Some looked away; out of shame or fear, he could not say. But others kept on glaring. One of them spat on the ground.

"Where do you get off passing judgement on us?" snarled one of them; an older-looking man with thinning hair. "Who died and made you Shogun? You're not even Japanese!"

"Shut your filthy mouth!" snapped Tamaki. There was hate in his eyes, a hate that Lelouch had never seen there before. "You're nothing but a pack of murderers!"

Lelouch looked around the Black Knights. There was hate in their eyes too, and something else; something darker, and more painful.

"How do you mean to justify what you've done?" Lelouch went on. "What wrong have these people done you?"

"They have homes and food, while we shivered and starved!" the man snarled back. "Their children have warm beds, and schools to go to, while ours sickened and died before our eyes! They did Britannia's bidding and lived well, while we struggled to survive! Why can't we have this? Why can't we have justice?"

"Justice?" sneered one of the Black Knights. "You call that justice?"

"And what of those in the hospital?" Lelouch demanded, his blood boiling. "What wrong did they do? Those whom Britannia imprisoned in there!"

"Druggies, the lot of them!" spat the man. "Scum! We don't want their kind in our country!"

"And we don't want your kind in ours!" retorted Tamaki, eyes blazing. "You're all a freaking disgrace!"

Lelouch shivered, both with anger and a rising dread. He knew where this was going.

"Zero, let's just kill them," Tamaki called out, turning to him. "Let's shoot them and get it over with!"

The balding man spat, and some of his fellows glared harder. One or two looked scared, but not a word was said.

Lelouch looked around his Black Knights, and saw the hatred in their eyes. He understood know what the other thing was, that which came with the hate.

It was betrayal, he realised. A bond had been sundered, a comradeship betrayed. His Black Knights had fought for Japan, for their fellow Japanese, to see them happy and free once again. And what had these, their fellow Japanese, done with their new-found freedom? What had their blood, their pain, their sacrifices bought for their country?

They agreed with Tamaki. They wanted these people dead. It would be a simple thing to do. March them out into the woods, make them dig a hole, shoot them, then fill it in again. And that would be that.

Except it wouldn't.

"I cannot allow that!"

Surprised, Lelouch snapped his head round. It was Goto striding towards them, Xingke at his shoulder. He stopped when he was level with Lelouch, and all could clearly see them.

"You need not concern yourself with this, captain," Lelouch said, not knowing what else to say.

"It is my concern," insisted Goto. "Whatever these people have done, they have the right to due process. I cannot stand here and allow you to commit mass murder."

A shiver ran through the Black Knights, as they turned angry eyes upon Goto.

"Rights?" demanded Tamaki. "What about the ones they killed? What about their rights?"

"If they have no rights, then no one has rights," replied Goto calmly. "My duty in this matter is clear."

"You saw what they did!" Tamaki shrieked. "You saw it!"

Tamaki was shaking, and Lelouch could see the anguish behind his rage. For the first time, he found himself pitying Shinichiro Tamaki. An amiable incompetent, for all his bombast, quick to anger and quick to forgive. He had doubtless seen horrors over the past seven years, but this had just about pushed him to the limit.

Another broken heart, in a world full of them.

He could see his Black Knights watching him, see their eyes, and the demands behind them. They looked to him now for a decision. They looked to him now for leadership.

They looked to him to give the order.

Lelouch looked down at the prisoners again. How pathetic they seemed, how hateful and disgusting. They seemed ugly somehow, their clothes dirtier, their appearance more wretched, their countenance more subhuman. His stomach churned at the sight of their bitter, defiant glares, or those of them now weeping with terror. The weeping was somehow worse, the soft sound grating on his nerves. It made him want to kill them all.

Kill them all, like a Britannian would. Kill them all, and leave them in some unmarked grave, unremarked, unmourned, and unremembered.

But someone would mourn. And someone would search. And someone would find.

And he would remember. And so would they.

He felt…strange. Cold, but not just cold. It was knowing, yet not wanting to know. A thought he should fear, yet for which he felt nothing.

"I came to this country to liberate it, not tyrannise or butcher it," he declared, his decision made. "The new government will decide their fate. Take them to the railway station, and keep them under guard until the reinforcements arrive. They can wait in the camps."

Silence. Lelouch wondered if they would object, refuse. Perhaps they would ignore him, and carry out their justice for themselves.

But they did not. Lelouch watched as his Black Knights ordered the prisoners to their feet, and drove them away; with much bad language and the occasional blow. The prisoners went without a word.

Not a word was spoken, until the car park was empty, and only the three of them remained.

"For what it's worth, I'm grateful," said Goto. He sounded very tired.

"They will go to the camps," Lelouch replied. "They will wait in the camps, until the new government is in a position to try them. This may take some time. I cannot guarantee their comfort, or even their survival."

He turned to face the captain.

"Does this truly satisfy you, captain?"

Goto stared back at him, with that same tired stare.

"Whatever you might think, I'm not an idiot or a lawyer," he said. "A reasonable effort is all that's required. Besides, it isn't my responsibility anymore."

Xingke cocked an eyebrow, and Lelouch almost laughed.

"Always the policeman."

"Don't knock it, Zero." Something in Goto's countenance had hardened. "It's all I have."

Lelouch regarded him for a moment.

"Is that why you served the NAC?" he asked. Goto sighed.

"When the war started, I was an assistant inspector, over in Shizuoka" he said. "We didn't have all that much to do, at first. People were pretty calm about it, all things considered. We were supposed to arrest people for spreading alarm and despondency, but I don't know any who did. The guidance was worthless, and I didn't much feel like locking people up for talking."

He paused, and drew a long breath.

"Then, the next thing we know, Genbu Kururugi was dead, and the government basically collapsed. Then we had a new government, calling itself the National Administrative Council, led by Taizo Kirihara and a bunch of big names from old families. Then we hear they've signed the surrender accord, and anyone who goes against it is punishable by Britannian military law. Then the old prefectural forces got abolished, and we're all the National Security Police. And then…here we are."

He paused again.

"I had a wife and a daughter," he went on. "We lived in Yaizu. There was a bombardment, but I stayed on duty, helping with the evacuation. When I got off, I went looking, but they weren't in any of the evacuation points. When I headed home, our street was a crater."

He fell silent. Lelouch didn't feel like pressing the matter.

"A company of militia has been summoned from Fuji," he said. "They will provide additional protection for the town. We will leave as soon as they arrive."

"Thank you, Zero."

Goto saluted, then stalked back inside. Lelouch glanced at Xingke. The taller man said nothing.

"Zero!"

It was Tanaka, standing in the doorway, a smile on his face.

"Captain Kozuki called in from the station!" he called out. "Her mother is safe."

Lelouch felt himself deflate. She was alive. Kallen's mother was safe.

He imagined the look on Kallen's face. He saw her smile, her eyes shining, in a way he had never seen her smile before.

He wanted to see her.

He wanted to see Kallen.

(X)

Headquarters Bureau, Nagoya Settlement

Gilbert Guilford forced himself to remain calm and dignified, as the elevator carried up him to the command centre.

Him. Why did it have to be him? By what dark miracle, what convergence of dire fortune, did it have to be him?

He had spent the past day carefully herding Britannian refugees towards the Kansai region; the last part of Area 11 still under firm Britannian control. Then the order had come in, to drop everything and come directly to Nagoya Settlement with his remaining troops, and report to the new interim Viceroy.

When he had arrived at Nagoya, his growing dread had deepened. Far from being cared-for, the refugees were squatting around the settlement in ever-growing camps, squabbling for what little food could be found or shelter improvised, and begging anyone who passed by for help.

It had sickened him. He couldn't believe it. And his horror had grown worse when he had reached the gates, and demanded that the guards explain why those people, Britannian citizens, were being kept outside.

And then, once he had reached the HQ tower, he had checked the daily dispatches, praying to a god he didn't entirely believe in that his fears were unfounded.

They were not.

The doors slid open, and he strode out into the foyer. As he approached the command centre doors, the guards moved to stop him. Fighting down his irritation, Gilbert showed his identification, and waited as they opened the door for him.

The command centre was a vision of chaos, much as he had expected. But Gilbert's attention was entirely focussed on the man standing by the map table.

On the face of it, he was an impressive sight. Tall and broad shouldered, with long red hair and a thin moustache, clad in custom uniform in dark green with a knight's white cloak, he was every inch the warrior aristocrat. But Gilbert knew the reality, only too well.

"Captain Guilford." Leonardo Calares, Duke of Wendover, Governor of the Kansai District, turned to regard him. "So good of you to come."

His tone was pleasant, friendly even. But Gilbert knew what it meant. He had dealt with the man enough times to know it well enough.

"As I'm sure you're aware, I have been named as interim Viceroy, for the duration of this crisis," Calares went on. "It falls to me to restore order, and I have been commanded to do so by any means necessary."

Gilbert had no illusions as to what that meant. Calares had been a competent governor, but his approach to law and order was notoriously ruthless. The words 'restraint' and 'mercy' did not appear in his vocabulary.

"My lord, I am at your disposal," he said, though the words galled him. "But there is a serious problem to consider. Large numbers of our citizens have fled their homes and are seeking shelter here. I was in the process of coordinating their transfer when you summoned me."

"Yes, yes, your chivalry is to be commended," Calares retorted dismissively. "Nevertheless, I have other orders for you. You will use your remaining knightmares and our various stragglers to form a scratch company, and then await further orders."

"Yes, my lord. But what of the refugees? No provision has been made for them."

Calares fixed him with a look of thinly veiled contempt.

"I have given you orders for action," he said, in an equally contemptuous tone. "I do not expect to be troubled with talk of refugees."

Even knowing Calares, Gilbert could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"My lord, these people are our loyal citizens," he declared. He could see staff officers glancing nervously at him, but he was in no mood to back down now. "As soldiers of the Imperial army, and as knights, we have a responsibility to them. We must…"

"Captain!"

The barked command cut him off. Calares fixed him with a gimlet glare, one so harsh that Gilbert began to wonder if he had signed his own death warrant.

"You may be accustomed to indulgence from Princess Cornelia," he said, in a tone that brooked no argument. "But you will not get such from me, Captain Guilford. Our responsibility is to crush this rebellion, and restore order to this most vital of Areas. And in any case, those loyal citizens of whom you are so fond happen to include large numbers of Honourary Britannians. Do you deny it?"

"No, my lord. They are oath-sworn Honourary Britannians, who have remained loyal to the crown."

He knew where this was going. He knew it with a sickening dread.

"You say they are loyal citizens, Sir Gilbert. I say they are politically unreliable. They are of the same blood and kin as those who are attempting to destroy us. So spare me your bleating, captain They can wait their turn like all the rest."

Gilbert wanted to object, to cry out in protest, to spit in the wretched man's face and storm out. But it would do no good. Calares was the imperial viceroy, and had the Emperor's powers within Area 11. And what was he but a knight-of-honour to an incapacitated princess?

There was nothing he could do.

"My lord, may I know the situation?" he asked, though it was more than he could hope for. "I must prepare my unit for battle."

"You do not need to know that, captain," replied Calares. "You may have Princess Cornelia's confidence, but you do not have mine. You are a captain of knightmares, and as a captain of knightmares you shall serve. You shall have your orders soon enough."

Gilbert's heart sank a little more. So that was how it was going to be. He had known it would be, but to have to face it still hurt. But for the knighthood Cornelia had granted him, and a place at her side, he was just a captain of knightmares; a lowly officer, like countless others. Calares' one mercy had not been to deny him his maroon coat, the uniform Cornelia had given him.

Except it wasn't a mercy. While she lived, and did not say otherwise, it was his right to wear it. Even he wasn't so stupid as to question that.

"Suffice to say," Calares went on, "we have been ordered to hold our ground to the last man, until reinforcements arrive. Also, since you might not be aware of it, the Chinese Federation has apologised for the unfortunate misunderstanding that took place yesterday morning. They have agreed to cooperate with us in restoring order."

"My lord!" It was too much. Too much to hear, too much to bear. "You…you cannot possibly believe it! They bombarded our bases!"

"As I said, a misunderstanding," insisted Calares, unmoved. "They are currently taking over the management of Hokkaido and Kyushu for us, and have graciously pledged assistance in evacuation the civilian population. Our remaining troops there are on their way here by all possible means, and will join the defence."

Gilbert could not believe it. His mind could not process it. His heart could not bear it.

From a strategic perspective, it made a measure of sense. By concentrating all remaining forces in Kansai, between Osaka, Lake Biwa, and Nagoya, they could hold the rebels at bay for some time. If they could secure the land north of Lake Biwa too, then they could keep the rebels divided. They could buy time until the Pacific fleet could intervene.

But…to cooperate with the Chinese…to believe a word they had said…

"So, captain. If you encounter Chinese forces, you will not fire upon them for any reason. Also, you will not interfere with the NAC or its subordinates, who have continued to cooperate with us. Do you understand?"

Kyoto? Did he somehow think Kyoto was still loyal? Had he not been paying attention? Had he completely forgotten about Darlton's investigation? What on earth was going on?

"Captain, I have been indulgent with you due to your considerable record, but my patience is wearing thin," Calares said, in the sort of tone he might have reserved for a particularly slow-witted houseboy. "I ask again, do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Very good. Don't let me detain you."

Feeling nothing, Gilbert saluted in the knightly fashion, with his right hand over his heart, turned on his heel, and strode out the door.

He could see, in the corner of his eyes, the looks some of the staff officers were giving him. He knew then, for certain, why Calares had called him up there. It was to humiliate him, to dress him down, to prove to all of them that Cornelia was gone, and wasn't coming back; thathe was in charge now.

He was glad the Glaston knights had not been there to see it. They had enough on their plates as it was.

Once inside the elevator, with only the hum of the motor for company as it carried him back down, he had to force himself not to slump against the wall, to let his legs give way and slide down to the floor.

It was madness. It was chaos. It was so cruel.

"Princess, please live," he thought, wishing he could stare up at the stars, and wonder if she could see them too.

"Without you, there is nothing. There is only darkness."

(X)

And here we are.

This has been long delayed, and I can only apologise for it. It's proven a tricky chapter, for a part of the story that has itself proven tricky. This process has been made worse by what I can only describe as lockdown fatigue. I know I'm not the only one in this situation, and that I've kept you all waiting for a long time. Once again, I can only apologise, and hope you enjoy this chapter.

This will be the penultimate chapter for the Black Rebellion arc. The next chapter will mark the end of the rebellion, and the completion of this stage of Schneizel's desperate plan. It's proven very difficult, as I ended up taking the chance to deal with a number of other issues. If nothing else, the segment with Schneizel has tested my knowledge and understanding of economics. I can only hope that I haven't made a fool of myself.

But the really hard part was the Minobu bit; the challenge of how to create a suitably dramatic and meaningful sequence of events without crossing too many lines. I was going to have to confront the darker side of the rebellion sooner or later, and I hope that I have done so in a worthwhile manner.

I would like to thank you all for your patience, and once again hope that you all enjoy this chapter.