Sacre bleu, vat iz diz? Anozer shapter?
Oui.
I'm going to go ahead and do my fellow Code Geass fans a favor. I think I may have figured out how to make the Resurrection movie a sequel to the show.
Here goes: Shirley's mom faked her death.
There you go! Alternate universe no more! It's now a sequel to R2!
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this. As always, let me know where I screwed up, what you liked, and what improvements can be made.
I do not own Code Geass.
….
Beneath the Wailing Prison, Kingdom of Zilkhstan, March 20, 2020, Kowa Period
"This is bullshit," Kallen grumbled.
C-Two rolled her eyes. "You already said that."
"What are you talking about? No I didn't."
C-Two blinked. She flicked her eyes around. They were in the chamber of the ruins that would lead them to...to…
C-Two grabbed Kallen's wrist. "We have to get out of here, now!" she said.
"Wh-What?" Kallen demanded. "But what about Nunnally? We can't just leave her!"
"Something isn't right," C-Two said. "This already happened. I think." She looked all around her.
The guards were watching the two of them, only them, entirely alert to what they were doing.
They know! They know! How?
"We've been compromised," C-Two said. "We have to-"
"Going somewhere, ladies?"
They jerked around. A man hunched over with long magenta hair and black eyes stood behind them. He had red, catlike tattoos on his cheeks. A squad of soldiers stood behind him.
The warden!
Belq Batoum Bitool, Warden of the Wailing Prison. There was a leering grin on his face.
"But the party's about to begin," he said with a wicked grin. He gestured his hand. "Take them."
The soldiers grabbed them, though they lashed out mightily.
"What are you doing?" Kallen demanded with a false panic. "We-We weren't-"
"That is quite enough, Miss Kozuki," Bitool said. "We know who you are, and why you've come." He leered at the two women. "Her Majesty wishes to speak with you."
They were both clapped in irons and lifted from their feet, Kallen kicking and snarling the whole time, shouting obscenities as they were carried down the hall. The hallways were the same as before: the collapsed hallway on the left, the guards blocking the hall on the right. They were brought into the chamber with its basins and rivers, with the Thought Elevator.
Basins and rivers? Rivers of what?
The Queen stood above them again, gazing coldly upon them from the top of her dais-
C-Two thrust her dagger into the throat of one of the guards. Screams descended on the chamber, pandemonium, panic. She jumped through the air, had enough time to see the grenade Kallen had stolen explode in her hand when a barrage of bullets tore apart her chest. Above it all-
Queen Shamna laughed. "You are well met C-Two, Miss Kozuki," she said. "We have been expecting you."
They were carried up the staircase, set harshly on the stone floor, and forced to kneel.
"You caused quite the mess the last time you were here," Shamna said.
"What are you talking about?" Kallen demanded. "We only-"
A soldier with flowing green hair backhanded Kallen across the face. "Silence! You do not have permission to speak!"
Kallen spat out a wad of blood onto his boot. "Screw you!"
He slapped her again.
"Kallen, shut up!" C-Two ordered.
Kallen shot a look at her, her eye starting to swell up. "But-"
"Shut. Up," C-Two repeated. "Now. You're no good dead."
Kallen didn't answer. She glared at the Queen, sullen.
Queen Shamna smiled. She stepped forward, reached out, and cupped C-Two's face in her hands. "Does this seem familiar to you, Immortal?" she asked. She ran a finger gently across C-Two's lips. "Have you seen this future as I have?" She chuckled. "Not soon enough, it seems."
Bismarck? Does she have Bismarck's ability? Or is it something else?
"I can see your mind working," Shanma said. "I know your every thought. I have glimpsed your very future. You are wondering what my power is, yes? How could I have known it was you?"
"Actually, I was wondering who does your hair?" C-Two gestured to Kallen. "Maybe you could hook us up with your stylist. Kallen has way too many split ends."
"Like you're one to talk!" Kallen retorted. "I've seen how frizzy your hair gets when you wake up-"
Shesthaal slapped her again. Blood drooled from Kallen's mouth.
"Fascinating as this conversation is," the Queen drawled, "there are more important matters to discuss."
It took everything C-Two had not to break free and kill them. She glanced at Kallen. Hang on. I'll get us out of this. "Where's the Empress?"
The Queen raised an eyebrow. "No care for Zero, then?" she wondered.
"If you captured him, then he's already dead," C-Two replied.
The Queen smirked. "Sounds like you wouldn't mind that at all. You might even like it."
"Where are they, you bitch!" Kallen barked.
C-Two shook her head hurriedly, silently pleading for the girl to shut up.
"Shesthaal," the Queen said, not taking her cold eyes off of C-Two, "if Miss Kozuki speaks again, kill her."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The man grabbed a machine pistol from one of the guards.
C-Two shook her head frantically. "Don't-"
"Shh," Queen Shamna hushed, forcing C-Two to look at her. "I have no quarrel with either of you. Behave, and she lives."
The Queen released her, turned around, and paced languidly toward the Thought Elevator.
"I have a problem, Immortal," she said. "A problem I think only you may solve." She stroked her hand over the gate's door frame. "We have tried the ritual many times now. And yet, every time the attempt is made, we fail. Why?"
"Why do you want to activate the Thought Elevator?" C-Two asked.
"Ours is a poor nation," Shamna replied. "Poor in resources. Poor in allies. Once, I had the ear of the Emperor, but he distanced himself from us before his demise. So we enriched our people by fighting. A life for a life. A nation for a nation."
Her fist clenched. She smacked the gate. "But this world of peace, this world of lies, it has ruined our nation." She shoot a snarl over her shoulder. "I know what you think. 'Why not ask the UFN for assistance? Why not use the diplomatic process? Why abduct the Empress and Zero?'" She turned fully around, all prideful and haughty. "We are not beggars. We desire no one's pity." She glared down at C-Two, gave her a hateful rictus grin. "We are conquerors. We will make our nation with our own two hands. A nation for a nation. A world for a world. That is our way." She gestured to the gate. "This Elevator is the key to our new empire." She scowled. "If we can get the ritual to work."
This chick is nuts. "What kind of ritual?"
Shamna's smile was cruel.
"I will show you."
…
Outside Aau, Rajasthan, Republic of India, February, 2018
Lelouch stared out at the open desert. He clicked his tongue.
Would that we had an underground complex for this.
The Guren and Shen-Hu had been developed in underground facilities, but the research sites they had access to weren't large enough for the FLEIJA'S demonstration. A stretch of the Thar Desert had been chosen, the few inhabitants evacuated and compensated for the potential loss of their homes.
Potential because they weren't sure the bomb was going to work.
He glanced up at the sky. At least there's some cloud coverage. "You're certain the weapon will work, Einstein?" he asked, his voice distorted. He didn't trust his identity with Nina as far as he could throw her.
"I-I don't kn-know," she answered. She fidgeted. "Th-This is the f-first field test."
"You're doing fine," Kallen told her, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. The girl blushed.
Kallen had been acting strangely since arriving in India. Rather than the detached, though friendly, professionalism he had expected as a result of the geass, she had instead embraced him as soon as they were reunited. They hadn't had the chance to talk one on one since her arrival, but he was becoming perturbed by the familiar touches and loving smiles she was giving him whenever he caught her eye.
Lelouch shunted the thought to the side. "Ohgi," he said. The man in question jerked to attention. "You had better not be wasting my time."
Instead of Kallen and the Zero Squadron arriving the next morning with as low a profile as possible, it had taken four days to get together the necessary equipment for this little demonstration, and the Zero Squadron had acted as an armed escort. Time they did not have.
He should have stayed home; the man had to lean on a cane to stay upright, and his skin was coated in sweat from the effort "I-We're not. I swear it," he said. "One way or another, we'll see what happens next."
Lelouch hummed. Why the Hell are you even here?
The man had accompanied Kallen and her new squadmates in the Gawain, herking and jerking across the sky with Nina in the turret. The Gawain was meant to be delivered, but not by him. What are you playing at, Ohgi?
He gave the signal.
A rocket fired from a kilometer behind them, its contrail soaring overhead. A moment later, it made impact.
A blinding flash of pink light illuminated the bunker, forcing them all to hunker down despite the protective goggles they wore.
It's here! It's here!
The light faded away. They all stood back up.
Nothing remained of the desert but a massive crater, at least twenty kilometers across.
"What-What was that?" Sumeragi said, his voice haunted.
"Colonel," Kallen said reverently, her fingers touching his. "That was incredible."
"This changes everything," Ohgi said, hushed.
"This," Lelouch said, "is the way the world ends."
….
Zaragoza Airport, Zaragoza, Unincorporated Area 24
The morning sky was a cloudless bright blue. The airport had been shutdown and cleared out; Imperial reconnaissance drones disguised as advertising blimps floated overhead. Suzaku's men lined the windows of the airport, eating concessions, laughing and joking, and probably taking bets, if Suzaku had to guess. He rolled his eyes at the spectacle.
Leave it to Lloyd to turn this into a circus. "How did it come to this?"
Suzaku had only made the request just the other day, and he'd really only wanted to have a gymnasium cleared out where he could take on Schnee hand-to-hand.
Lloyd had disagreed. "Beating him to a bloody pulp may make you feel better," he said, "but it also leaves the Empire short a capable knight for the coming offensive."
"And fighting in Knightmares is any better?" Suzaku spluttered.
Lloyd had pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "Well," he said lackadaisically, "it'll certainly glean me new combat data!"
Suzaku rolled his eyes at the memory. "Well, Lloyd," he said, "you'll get your data. Although," he chuckled, "probably not the kind you wanted."
Suzaku had eschewed the Lancelot for this bout; he didn't want Schnee to be able to claim his more advanced Frame had given him an unfair advantage. Instead, he piloted an unmodified Sutherland, the latest gen he was willing to go for this fight. Schnee had been allowed to us his Vincent.
"You're going to need all the advantages you can get," Suzaku had told him, in the most arrogant way he could. He had been pleased to leave the knight in a red-faced rage.
Officially, their bout was to be an experimental match demonstrating the distinct advantages of the new Vincent model over the previous generation. Hence, the reconnaissance blimps and cameras pointed to the field.
Suzaku's belly cramped. He winced, squeezing it, fighting off the sudden bout of nausea. I knew it was a bad idea to let Cecile cook.
Cecile's voice played over his comm system. "Are our two combatants ready?"
"Affirmative," Suzaku confirmed.
"I'm going to grind you into dust!" Schnee shouted.
"I'll take that as a yes," Cecile said. "Countdown clock has begun. T-Minus ten seconds."
"Wait now, hold on, this isn't fair!" Lloyd shouted over the intercom.
A digital voice took over. "TEN, NINE, EIGHT..."
"Lloyd, hush."
"But Suzaku's not even in-OOF!"
"What was that, Lloyd?"
"N...Nothing."
Suzaku struggled not to laugh.
As the clock clicked down, Cecile hailed Suzaku on his private frequency. He flipped the switch.
"Suzaku?"
"Yes, Major?" Suzaku asked.
"FOUR, THREE…"
"Kick his ass."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"TWO, ONE. BEGI-"
"DIE, ELEVEN!" Schnee screamed.
He leapt across the tarmac, sword already swinging. The Vincent was an almost impossibly fast machine, it's speed about eighty percent of the Lancelot's. To Suzaku, though, it was moving far too slow.
He evaded the sword stroke with ease, grabbed the Vincent by the arm, then flipped the Knightmare over his shoulder, smashing it into the ground. In the same motion, he swung out his pistol and jammed it into the side of the Frame's head.
"Dead," he said, already standing up and holstering the gun.
"I-I wasn't ready!" Schnee retorted.
You intentionally jumped the gun, and you're not ready?
Schnee jumped back to his feet. "This time, I'll waste you!"
"We'll see," Suzaku said dubiously.
They resumed their original positions. The countdown started again. Suzaku rolled his head, popping his neck. He glanced over at the airport windows. The jawing between the men had stopped, their focus entirely on the bout.
The clock hit zero. This time, Schnee let the countdown completely finish before he broke to the right, his wrist cannon already firing its digital rounds. Suzaku ducked and weaved through them with ease, reading the direction of each shot before the onboard computer could calculate. He closed the distance with Schnee, ducked beneath a fired slash harken, then plunged a stun tonfa into the machine's torso, striking right where the Yggsdrasil Drive would be.
"Dead."
"SON OF A BITCH!" the knight shouted. "AGAIN, DAMMIT!"
Suzaku smirked. "Sounds good to me."
They resumed their positions for the third time. Suzaku cracked his fingers as the countdown descended to zero. When he looked up at the windows, he could see the troops pressed against the glass.
The countdown finished, but the air remained still. Schnee made no attempt to attack Suzaku. They circled around one another, Schnee making little probing moves into Suzaku's sphere of influence. Suzaku made no attempt to reply to them, carefully reading every movement the Knight made on his factsphere. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Scared?"
"Shut up!" Schnee barked back, but he made no attempt to advance.
Suzaku smirked. "If you stay away, I'll begin to think you don't like me."
"I hate you, you Eleven bastard!"
Suzaku glared. "Aw, don't say that little Schnee. You'll hurt my feelings."
"ASSHOLE!"
Schnee launched himself at Suzaku, swords swinging, each cut and thrust punctuated with a curse. Suzaku negotiated the furious assault with almost insulting ease. Five different times he could have ended the bout, but he let Schnee keep going.
"You know," he said, his tone conversational, "it doesn't matter how hard you swing if you can't hit me."
"STAY STILL, DAMN YOU!"
Schnee fired his slash harken. Suzaku lifted up his arm, allowing the wire to wrap around his wrist.
"Got you!"
Suzaku smirked. "No," he said, "I've got you."
He jerked hard on the cord, sending Schnee off balance, and leapt through the air. He spun the Sutherland in a vortex, lashing out with his foot. It smashed into the face of the Vincent, sending it crashing to the ground, Suzaku on top. He leveled his gun at the Vincent's head.
"Dead."
"That's sufficient data, Captain Kururugi," Cecile announced over the general frequency. "You and Sir Hecksen are finished."
"Copy, Major," Suzaku confirmed.
"Why?" Schnee demanded. "You're in a damn Sutherland. Why can't I beat you?"
Suzaku glanced down at him."Because you're a shitty pilot," he answered matter-of-factly. "If I can beat your ass in a Sutherland, I wonder what the Euros will do in their Panzer-Hummels?" He snorted. "I'll have you transferred to a supply unit. I can't have someone this incompetent in my unit."
"Th-The Hell you say!" Schnee stammered. "You're not sending me anywhere!"
"You suck, Schnee," Suzaku retorted. "And you won't listen to a damn thing I have to say. You're incapable of improvement."
Schnee stood the Vincent up, jabbing its finger at the Sutherland's chest. "I'll get better, you'll see! Tell me to clean out the latrines if you want, but I'm not going anywhere! I'll get better, and I'll kick your ass!"
"If you want to get better, you'll have to do as I say," Suzaku replied. "Think you can handle that?"
The Knightmare came to swift, if insolent, attention. "I can handle anything, Eleven!" Schnee replied.
Suzaku smashed the Sutherland's fist into Schnee's factsphere. Caught off guard, the Knightmare toppled backward. Suzaku straddled it, thrust his stun baton into the Vincent's neck, and snarled. "I am not an Eleven," he growled. "I am Britannian, as much as you. Maybe even more, given I just whipped your ass. Call me an Eleven one more time, and I'll kill you."
It wasn't a threat; it was a promise. One Schnee seemed to recognize. "Understood, Captain," he said.
Suzaku stood up. "Then fall back in with the rest of the squadron. Training starts at Oh-four hundred."
The Vincent vaulted to its feet and saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Suzaku glanced up at the windows. The men lining them were cheering, and the intercom in his Knightmare let him hear what they were yelling.
"LANCELOT!"
"LANCELOT!"
"LANCELOT!"
….
Apartment of Rivalz Cardemonde and Milly Ashford, Madrid, Unincorporated Area 24
Milly barfed into the toilet. Her complexion was pale, her hair greasy. She felt awful.
"Come on, babe, come on," Rivalz said. He wasn't looking much better. Whatever it was she had, he'd evidently caught it, too. "It's all...all…" He turned around and vomited into the sink.
"For the duration of whatever this is," Milly said, "we're getting a maid. There's no way in Hell either of us are going to clean this."
"Damn right," he groaned, then vomited again.
Milly stood up, balancing herself against a sudden wave of dizziness, stumbled out of the bathroom.
"I'll-" She put a hand to her mouth. "I'll make us some soup, okay babe?"
The sound of vomit hitting toilet water was her answer.
She dragged a can from the cabinet, opened it, poured it into a pot, set the heat. She rubbed a hand against her sweaty forehead. As the soup boiled, she thought, Hope we can keep this down.
She'd taken a turn for the worse after their little beach trip, and called out for the rest of the week. Gerry seemed to think they were bullshitting him, an impression blasted to pieces by the video call they shared.
"Well, get well soon," he'd mumbled before signing off.
"Working on it, asshole," Milly grumbled. She put a hand to her stomach at another churn. "Jesus, what's wrong with us?"
"Was hoping you'd tell me," Rivalz said as he padded into the kitchen.
He gave her a peck on the lips, to which Milly sneered in disgust. "Rivalz, wash your mouth out or something, I can taste the yogurt you had this morning."
"Well, that egg white on your tongue ain't much better," he said.
She gave him a playful swat on the shoulder, then groaned along with him at the sudden movement. "Bad idea, bad idea," she said.
"Uh, babe," Rivalz said, "is this supposed to be chunky?"
"What?"
Rivalz was looking at the pot with a disgusted eye. She looked in with him.
There were black lumps in the soup that were most definitely not chicken, and...is that mold? How do you mold soup?
"Is it out of date?" Rivalz asked.
Milly shook her head. "No, it's got another three months on it. Maybe we got a bad can?"
Rivalz scrounged around in the pantry. "Hang on," he said. "I still got some of the canned food we took from your parents' place. We can have that real quick."
Milly turned around and barfed into the trash can. "Assuming we can keep it down," she groaned.
…
Glinda Knights Headquarters, Sfax, Area Eighteen
The city of Sfax resembled nothing so much as a massive fortress. Established on the coast as a port, the harbor city was surrounded by massive stone walls adorned with flying buttresses archer parapets, the relics of the city's Medieval Era. Those walls were still in use to this day, and had enabled the city to hold out against Britannian siege forces for two days; before Princess Cornelia li Britannia landed with a task force of twenty-thousand, that is. The walls were as tan as the desert sands that surrounded them, and the members of the Glinda Knights had been forced to change into a mixture of khaki camouflage and shrouds to ward against the burning sun.
The Glinda's headquarters was located in a shabby office building, graciously loaned to them by the local constabulary, who weren't headquartered in anything much better.
It was likely where things were to come to an end.
Claudio tossed his folder onto the conference table. "Nothing," he said. "Not one thing. No financial statements, inventory, anything that might imply off the book record keeping."
The Glindas sat around the table, styrofoam cups sitting before them, the walls surrounding them in the rectangular room adorned with bulletin boards covered in names, faces, and hierarchical models; most of them had been crossed out.
Princess Marrybel pursed her lips. "That was the last lead we had from Minya," she said. "Now that's dried up."
"Do you think we missed something?" Steiner asked. "Some clue we left behind?"
Dame Oldrin shook her head. "We combed that place from top to bottom, took the entire place apart."
Claudio sighed disspiritedly. "So where does that leave us?" he asked. "Square one?"
"If only that were the case," the Princess said, shaking her head. "We've been taken off the case."
"Th-They can't do that!" Soresi said. "We can still-"
"The Glinda's are being reassigned to Italy," the Princess interrupted. "We'll be taking part in the invasion of Slovenia with several other Knightly Orders. It's all hands on deck. Peace Mark," she spat, "simply isn't the Emperor's top priority anymore."
Claudio rapped his fist on the table. "What are they doing?" he wondered aloud. "Peace Mark was in Egypt for a reason. Minya can't have been the only location."
The Princess stood, and they all stood with her. "It's no longer our concern," she said. "Pack your gear. We leave at O-Five Hundred. Dismissed."
….
Nazir's, Cairo, Area Eighteen
Orpheus fingered the grip of his pistol, scanning the gang of mercenaries before them. The Zilkhstani's stood easy, casually, as the young man at their center rolled forward in a wheelchair. He wore a dark Middle Eastern shawl, and a red visor sat on his platinum blonde hair. Pupil-less blue eyes stared at Orpheus.
He was Shalio, King of Ziklhstan, the Mercenary State. "You are well met, Orpheus of Peace Mark," he said. His voice was low, slightly effeminate.
The meeting place was a little restaurant on the outskirts of Cairo; the owner, generously tipped, had closed shop early for the day. Plastic chairs and circular metal tables dotted the eating area. The shades on the windows had been drawn, casting them all in darkness.
Orpheus bowed. "Your Majesty." He straightened again. "My employer has finalized the details of the contract." He held up a sheet of paper. "It's all on this."
King Shalio gestured to one of the mercenaries. The man was dark skinned and wore a blue jerkin and a turban. He took the contract from Orpheus and turned it over to his king. The boy lowered his visor over his eyes, read over the details.
"It's in order," he said. He set the contract onto a pull out table on his wheelchair, affixed his signature to it. "I will ensure that my men leave Peace Mark designations at every location." He narrowed his near blind eyes. "Are you absolutely certain that's what you want?"
"Yes," Orpheus confirmed.
"May I ask why?"
Orpheus shrugged. "Have at it, you won't get an answer," he said.
"Have a care," the man in the turban warned. "You speak to the King."
"Yes, the King," Shalio said. "Speak out of turn like that again, and I may just have to invite you for dinner."
That would be bad. Orpheus inclined his head. "Apologies. No offense was intended. My master has not seen fit to draw me into his confidence."
"Better." King Shalio smirked. He waved his hand, and he and the other mercenaries began to leave. "I don't know what Wizard's up to," he said. "But you had best watch yourself. The Empire will come down on you like a hurricane. You can't pay us if you're dead."
"I'll keep that in mind."
…...
Black Tiger Mercenary Company Mobile Headquarters, Aau, Rajasthan, Republic of India
"Get Urabe here on the double," Lelouch ordered Ohgi. They all stood in a large planning room strewn with maps, figures, and empty noodle cups. C-Two had remained in their quarters this time, begging off for 'beauty sleep.'
"You are welcome to join me, if you like," she told him. She lay on her belly, stark naked, a single bed sheet haphazardly twisted around her the only protection to her modesty. Peals of laughter hounded him as he fled the room, blushing.
"Public opinion be damned, we need the Black Knights," he continued. "The tide of the war has just turned this day."
"You ain't kidding," Sumeragi piped up. He looked nervous. "With this weapon, the Black Knights will be unstoppable."
"Isn't this great, Rai!" Akagi gushed to him. "We finally have something that can bring the Empire to its knees!"
"Y-Yeah, great."
Lelouch flicked a glance at the man.
Rai Sumeragi put him on edge. He'd never heard of him before Kallen brought him into her unit, yet his combat stats were almost on par with her own.
The white-haired youth shot a glance at Kallen, first to her chest, then down towards her pelvis. The young woman, deep in conversation with Nina, gave him the bird. Lelouch ground his teeth.
"How much of the Black Knights do you want on the mainland?" Ohgi asked.
Lelouch turned back to the map. "As many as can be spared without sacrificing public order. What's the situation in Sendai?"
"Last I heard, Urabe had launched his final attack. It's a bloody business, but he'll take care of it." Ohgi glanced up at Lelouch. "I told him he could see Chiba after the campaign was concluded."
Lelouch nodded. "It's alright, we couldn't have known. One day won't hurt, I think. Just so long as he's on the first transport." He turned. "Kallen, how does the Flight Enabled handle?"
Kallen, turning from her conversation with Nina, said, "Like a dream! The simulators are nothing compared to actual performance. It felt like an extension of my body."
"Good." He turned back to Ohgi. "Prioritize our aerial Frames for fuel usage. We're striking deep into Federation territory."
"May I ask why?" Ohgi said.
Lelouch gestured to his sunglasses. "My freaky eye thing? There's an entire Britannian compound where it's studied and mass produced. We're going to take it out."
Ohgi's eyes bulged, then he nodded. "Consider it done."
Kallen sidled up next to Lelouch, her body naturally curling toward his. She pulled a metal tin from her jacket pocket. "Here, Mom made this for you." She handed it to him.
"What is it?" Lelouch asked.
"Sweet biscuits," she answered. "Mom made them right before I left. Said to share with you, you know," she shrugged, a shy smile on her face, "if I wanted."
Lelouch swallowed heavily. Her red hair fell around her face, her blue eyes shimmering with infatuation. Her fingers lightly brushed his. Is-Is the geass…
He entwined his fingers with hers. "Thanks, I appreciate it," he said.
Her smile turned bashful.
Lelouch clenched his jaw. "Do some...do some checks on your Knightmares. Make sure you're ready. We can share them later."
Kallen nodded. "You got it." The young woman turned to her subordinates. They were huddled together, Sumeragi whispering something into Akagi's ear while the girl giggled and blushed. "Akagi! Sumeragi!" The two came to attention, Akagi's face still red. "Let's go!"
As they filed out, Lelouch turned to Ohgi. "We should focus on getting the rest of the Knights ready." He blinked.
Ohgi looked incredibly conflicted. "Is something the matter?" Lelouch asked him.
Ohgi started. "Uh, yeah, that is-" He coughed into his hand. "Colonel, would it be alright to speak in your quarters later? Alone?"
Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "Certainly," he allowed. "Say in about twenty minutes?"
Ohgi nodded.
"I'll meet you then."
…
Tokyo General Hospital, Tokyo, United States of Japanese
"He's starting to kick," Chiba said, her hand on her swelling belly. She wore a plain white medical gown, her smile sad. She looked up at Urabe. "I think he knows Daddy's home."
Urabe huffed a quiet laugh. "You took an ultrasound, then?" he asked. He was still in uniform, still smelled of grease, and smoke, and death.
She nodded. "I...I had to know," she said. "I had to know that his-your name would live on."
Urabe shifted uncomfortably, placed an awkward hand on hers. "It's good to know for sure," he agreed.
Chiba's hospital room was large, square shaped, and equipped with all the accouterments of an apartment. Guards stood outside the room, and Urabe guessed their orders were to shoot on sight should a breakout attempt take place.
"Ura-Kousetsu," Chiba said, his name sounding foreign on her tongue, "are you alright? How was Sendai?"
He scowled. "It was butchery is what it was," he said. "Three hundred dead from having to storm the place, north of two thousand injured." He shook his head. "We had to kill them almost to the last man. They just wouldn't surrender."
"What else did they have left, but their honor?" Chiba asked bitterly. "We're traitors to them, now. That's why Zero sent you: to permanently sever any ties we might still have."
Urabe tapped his fingers on the bars of her bed. "I know," he said. "It seems to have worked. We received confirmation that the last JLF towns in the north have laid down their arms. With Sendai crushed, the reunification has been completed. Now the war with Britannia can be continued."
"And you'll be in the thick of it," Chiba said, anger coloring her tone. "While I'll be stuck here, waddling around this room, hoping, praying, that Zero decides to let us both…" She shook her head. She rubbed her belly. "My-Our son saved our lives," she said. She wiped away bitter tears. "Isn't it the parents' duty to protect their children?"
Urabe smiled. "Well, look at who his father is," he said.
Chiba returned it, wan and sad. "Would you...Would you like to feel him?" she asked, tentative.
Urabe stiffened. "Can...Can I?"
She nodded, nervous. "Yes, of course. You are his father, after all." She pulled the gown up above her bed sheet, exposing the swell of her belly.
Urabe was as gentle as he could be. He pressed his ear against her skin, listening. "I don't feel-"
"Shh," Chiba hushed him. "Just give him a moment." She chuckled. "He likes the surprise att-" She yelped.
"I felt it!" Urabe said. He laughed. "I felt it! He kicked! He's so strong!"
"Just like his father," Chiba said.
…..
Royale Stage, Pendragon, Holy Empire of Britannia's
"I'm certain some in this esteemed body wonder why it is my sister was chosen as this organization's namesake," Euphemia said.
There were well over a hundred people before her this time, crowded together in a small auditorium that had been rented out by Ruben. The venue was chosen precisely because of it size; the Cornelia li Britannia Peace Conference would be able to claim that they had packed the meeting out to the rafters.
"After all," Euphemia continued, "my sister was victor of a thousand military campaigns. So great was her strategic and tactical acumen that she was even called the Goddess of Victory. To Britannia, and to the world, she presented herself as a warrior maiden, the intractable foe of Britannia's enemies."
Euphemia placed her hand on her chest. "But that was not the sister I knew." Her throat grew tight, but she kept going. "When we were children, Nelly would braid my hair with flowers in our estate's garden. She played with me in the back of the car every day to and from our church services. She taught me to ride a horse, to care for one as if it were my own flesh and blood."
She dropped her eyes to the lectern. "And now she's gone." She swallowed heavily. "My sister, who used to paint my nails pink, who played hide and seek with me, who held me when thunder and rain crashed against our window, is...gone."
She clenched the side of the podium. "The man who was to be my brother-in-law, Sir Gilbert Guilford, a kind man who lived by the Code of Chivalry, is also gone. As is Andreas Darlton, my sister's mentor, and a man as close as any uncle to me-gone."
She looked back up at them. "They're all dead. Dead, in this accursed war! Dead, and nothing to show for it! Dead, and even now the Dark Lord who kills her wages his war in the Orient!"
The tears were running down her cheeks now, but it didn't matter. Hers was not the only wet eye in the room.
"How much longer must this bloody war continue?" she demanded. "How much longer must we consign our loves to such an ignominious fate? How many more of our sisters, husbands, uncles must die before the God of War is slaked?"
Euphemia left the stage to a round of heady applause that sounded much louder in the enclosed space. Sir Alfred joined her as escort back to the dressing room, a small rectangular office space festooned with vanity tables, costume hangars, and little light bulbs the lined the arched mirrors.
Euphemia sat down with an exhausted sigh, and pillowed her head on her arms on the vanity. She groaned. "Six venues in four days," she moaned. "Six venues…"
Sir Alfred chuckled. "It is an inspired effort, Your Highness."
"Inspired! Inspired, he says!" Euphemia giggled. "Thanks, Alfie."
"It was certainly an exercise in rhetoric," a woman's voice offered. "Though sadly weak kneed."
Euphemia sat up, looked for the new voice. Sir Ruben stood at the door next to a pair of women she didn't recognize. The first, and shorter, was a skinny girl in a blue dress around Euphemia's own age, with pink hair and blue eyes that sparkled mischievously. The other was a blonde of stern beauty in a green gown that ruffled at the shoulders. Her hair was pulled up in severe bob that let her bangs fall stylishly over her face, and she wore a pair of stylish gold spectacles just down the bridge of her nose. A mole was perched beneath her frowning lips.
Euphemia stood up and curtsied. "I don't believe we've been introduced," she said. "I am Princess Euphemia li Britannia."
"Indeed we haven't," the blonde said. She curtsied as well. "Alicia Lohmeyer, daughter of Count Manfred Lohmeyer."
The teenager gave Euphemia a wave. "Vicountess Clara Lanfranc! Pleased to meet ya!"
Lohmeyer scowed at he. "You are in the presence of royalty, child! At least act with some dignity!"
Euphemia waved her hands around. "No, no, none of that, it's alright!"
Now Lohmeyer glared at her. "Certainly not. The proper order of the world must be respected if you are to be respected. With your station comes duty and obligations that you may not simply wave away."
"Honestly, Alicia, you're just way too uptight!" Lanfranc said. "Come on, pull the stick out of your butt!"
Lohmeyer gaped at her. "You would! In Her Highness' presence! You!"
As the girl burst into giggles, Sir Ruben mercifully stepped in. "Your Highness, with your permission, I've brought on board Miss Lohmeyer and Viscountess Lanfranc to assist you in the coming days," he explained. "Miss Lohmeyer was, up until the last week, a civil servant, and Viscountess Lanfranc has just returned from volunteer work in South America."
"I see," Euphemia said. So this is a job interview. "It is a pleasure to meet you both. Sir Alfred, could you fetch us a few chairs?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
A minute later, the three women were seated. Water was set to boil in the theater's kitchen for tea. Euphemia made idle chit chat with the two women while they waited, focusing primarily on their clothing and the latest trends, or a show they had gone to see. When the tea arrived, they set about their work.
"Viscountess-" Euphemia began, but the girl cut her off.
"Just Clara, Your Highness, if you please!" the girl said brightly. Lohmeyer massaged her temples next to her, her expression vexed.
Euphemia smiled. "Clara, then," she agreed. "Sir Ruben said you were just in South America?"
"Yep!" Clara replied. "Caracas, specifically. They won't let volunteer units out of the city's because they can't control what happens to us near the battle zones."
Lohmeyer mumbled something that sounded like, "Combat zones, you ill bred moron."
Clara smiled. "You say something, Alicia?"
"No, no, carry on."
The girl obliged. "Problem is, the rebels out of Area Six are mainly irregulars, so Caracas gets hit constantly. I was part of a special triage unit that was on emergency response."
"Is the fighting in Caracas so bad?" Euphemia asked. "I find it astonishing we would use civilian volunteers for EMS work."
"Trust me, it's worse than whatever you've heard on TV," Clara confirmed. "There's no way to tell whose a terrorist and who isn't. The local police force can't be trusted; most of them are either being paid off by the terrorists, or they have family and friends in their ranks. The cops are only being kept around to maintain some semblance of order."
"That sounds as bad as Area Eleven on the brink of the Black Rebellion," Euphemia said.
Clara nodded. "Oh yeah. We even had Zero impersonators all over the place. Lady Dorothea was hanging those bums in the streets whenever we caught them."
Euphemia shivered. "Such horror...it's no wonder why you left."
The girl looked surprised. "Are you kidding? I loved it over there!" She brought her hands up excitedly. "New attacks every day, never knowing if the guy walking down the street was going to whip out a gun and shoot you, performing triage surrounded by exploded cars and flames a mile high?" She practically jumped from her seat. "It was a blast!"
Euphemia blinked rapidly. "Uh...I see." She didn't. She really didn't. "If such is the case, then why are you here?"
Clara deflated in an instant. "Because we're losing," she admitted. She shot a look around, suddenly afraid.
Sir Alfred raised his hand. "You are among friends here, My Lady."
She nodded at him. "It's falling apart," she continued. "The rebels are hiding in the jungles and hills. They're mined, laced with booby traps, and the forests are so thick, we can't even napalm enough of it to root them out. Sakuradite is running thin, too. A third of our Knightmare fleet in Caracas is down simply because we don't have the fuel."
She punched her fist into her open palm. "We need to reestablish control over the Areas within our own hemisphere," she declared. "Area Eleven has to be brought back into the fold, but we can't go after them because we're bogged down in Europe! The war here has to be ended, at least for a time, if we're to hold the Empire together."
Okay, that makes sense. "And what do you bring to the table, Clara?" Euphemia asked. "How do your skills benefit the Cornelia li Britannia Peace Conference?"
The girl gave a toothy grin. "Those triage units? I'm the one who organized them!" She did a V for victory with her fingers. "I've got mad organizational skills, I'm quick and decisive, and I know how to get the job done!"
"Your speeches are all well and good," Sir Ruben said from the side, "but I also felt it best to set up a volunteer wing for outreach to wounded veterans." He smiled. "Actions speak louder than words, and many grateful soldiers could become operatives in the movement."
"Thank you, Sir Ruben," Euphemia said with a smile and nod. She turned back to Clara, offered her hand. "Then I'll be glad to have you, Clara."
"Woohoo!" Clara shook her hand enthusiastically. "Thanks! You won't regret it!"
"Now, Miss Lohmeyer," Euphemia said, turning to the other woman.
"I was the head of my academy's Student Council from 2007 to 2011," the woman said before Euphemia could continue. "After graduation, I attended and graduated from Pendragon University Suma Cum Lauda in Governement Administration and Public Relations. After graduating, I received a position in Colonial Affairs and Management-"
"Really did a bang up job there, Alicia," Clara said.
"Silence!" Lohmeyer snapped.
Euphemia held up a hand. "Peace, please." When they had both settled down, she gestured for Lohmeyer to continue.
"As I was saying," she shot a glare at Clara, who stared at the ceiling innocently, "I served in Colonial Affairs and Management, with particular emphasis on Area Eight. I was assigned to begin a post in Area Eleven, but the colony fell before I had the chance to assume the position."
"That's an impressive string of accomplishments," Euphemia praised. Lohmeyer genuflected. "I'm actually rather surprised that someone like you is here. Why come to me?"
"The chance to work with royalty is too great to pass up," Lohmeyer said. "Even if this Peace Conference amounts to nothing, I'll be able to put my position with the Conference on my resume, which will look good no matter where I go next."
That is not a good reason for doing this. Euphemia took a sip of her tea. "Miss Lohmeyer," she said, "while your resume is indeed quite accomplished, if you are here to just pad out your plaudits list, then I can't help you." She set her tea back on its saucer, eyes blazing. "This is not some passion project that I've taken up the recover my standing in the Royal Family. I aim to end this war, Miss Lohmeyer. That is my singular objective. I won't have anyone on board who isn't determined to see it through to the end."
Lohmeyer blanched. "I...see, Your Highness." She made to get up. "Then-"
"Alicia, just tell her!" Clara broke in, grabbing the older woman by the hand. "Enough with the proud and haughty act! Go on!"
Lohmeyer was visibly conflicted, but allowed Clara to pull her back into her seat.
She removed her spectacles, cleaned them absentmindedly with a handkerchief she pulled from her bodice. "Two weeks ago, I had two brothers," she said, much more subdued. "Johann and Francis Lohmeyer. Both are-were-pilots in the RAF. Johann was a fighter pilot, and Francis flew V-TOL's." She took a deep breath. "Three weeks ago, Johann was shot down by EU AA fire while on patrol in the Pyreenes. He ejected clean, but a piece of debris smashed into his head on the way down. He was wearing his helmet, so it didn't kill him."
The hands holding her spectacles began to tremble. Clara took both of Lohmeyer's hands into her own.
"Would that it had," Lohmeyer said. "The blow left him brain dead, incapable of living without life support. Life support my parents decided to turn off two weeks ago. He left behind a widow, my best friend from University, and their three children."
She looked up at Euphemia with teary but determined eyes. "I have but one brother left, Your Highness. I will not lose him, too."
Euphemia's throat grew tight. She stood from her seat, and wrapped the woman into a gentle embrace.
"Alicia," she said as the woman began to sob, "welcome to the Cornelia li Britannia Peace Conference."
…...
Planning Room, The Winter Palace, Shanghai, Chinese Federation
"We have run out of time," Xingke announced. "Aerial reconnaissance has captured images of enemy units on the move all along the front. The time for offensive maneuvers has passed."
The Tianzi made no sign that the news in any way distressed her. She glanced over at the Lady Sumeragi, who nodded. The Tianzi sat in her throne above the High Command, which wrapped around massive table with model pieces denoting enemy and allied units on a map covering the length and breadth of the expected combat area. Empty coffee cups, liquor bottles, and stubbed out cigarettes lined the table's ring.
"As anticipated, the Rebels' attack route seems to be preparing to run through Nanjing and Wuhan," Xingke said. He moved pieces on the massive table map to illustrated the point, piling up blocks of wooden star pedestals that reflected the banners of the Republican Blight. "Our units in the west are in the middle of their maneuvers toward the east, and will arrive by tomorrow night. We will allow the initial attack to slam against our defenses, then steadily increase our defensive pressure to force them to commit all of their units. At that point," he placed a great wooden dragon on the map next to Nanjing, "we will deploy the Shen-Hu, and begin a rapid annihilation of the opposing force."
He walked around the map to where New Delhi and the Black Tigers were represented by an obsidian tiger statue. "We will allow two days of enemy assault on the right flank. Once those days are completed, and the enemy totally committed, Spacer and the Black Tigers will being their assault northward into Xinjiang on their own mission against the enemy's spy agency. Afterward, the Black Tigers will act as aerial support on our left flank."
He glanced up at the Tianzi. She gave him an encouraging nod. "We will open the borders to the Indians one day before the assault against Chongqing is set to begin. Indian forces will make up the bulk of the vanguard. Black Knight forces under General Urabe are set to arrive over the next two weeks, providing us with much needed reinforcements. With their fresh troops, we'll be able to smash through the enemy's offensive."
He folded up his wand. "To confuse any enemy agents on the ground, we've put a hundred thousand civilians in uniform and provided them with broken firearms to simulate our defenses. It is almost a guarantee that this will be discovered by the enemy in short order, at which point they will most likely transmit that data to the Indians and Indochinese. When they march, the enemy will, we think, believe that they are on the move against us. To further the charade, we've ordered all units on the borders with India and Indochina to surrender at the first sign of advancing units.
"Indian forces will then join the defenders at Wuhan to bolster our defenses."
"Who will command the defenses at Wuhan?" the Tianzi asked.
Xianglin bowed. "I have that honor, Your Majesty," she said.
"And Nanjing?"
Hong Gu bowed. "I have that honor, Your Majesty," he said.
"And who shall lead our counterattack?"
Xingke bowed. "I have that honor, Your Majesty," he said.
The Tianzi nodded. "This plan meets our approval. You are authorized to begin operations at your discretion.
"Your Majesty!" her Generals shouted. "We thank you for your generosity!"
…
Forbidden City, Beijing, Free Republic of China
V-Two watched as the troop dots flooded southward. With the fresh payload of Sakuradite already injected into the Allied armies, their pace had picked up considerably. Anything and everything that could move the troops to the front was being used: trains, fishing boats, taxis, passenger jets, yachts. That didn't count all the foot traffic being pulled by literal horse power, or the soldiers riding bicycles at a hurried clip.
At least a dozen fighter squadrons buzzed through the air, screening their movements from enemy patrols. The Black Knights would know that something big was coming, but they wouldn't know from where.
"The main attack will be delivered on the left," General Cheng announced to the assembly. He gestured with a metal wand. "The principal targets of the operation are Wuhan and Nanjing, the primary rail hubs of the Royalists on their northernmost front. By taking Wuhan, we will be able to thrust south and southeast, cutting in behind the enemy lines." He pointed to Nanjing. "Simultaneously, taking Nanjing will force the Royalists to move their best units toward Shanghai to defend the capitol. Once Wuhan is taken, we will advance on Nanchang. The ultimate objective is to advance to the sea, at Fuzhou, and cut the Royalists in half. With their realm divided, it will be a simple matter for Indian and Indochinese troops to overwhelm the westernmost defensive line and fold up the enemy's right flank."
He clasped his hands behind his back. "Speed will be the key to operational success. We must take the key enemy positions before they are able to rally their defenses." He gestured to V-Two. "Lord V-Two?"
He took his cue. "Agents of the Empire are on the move throughout enemy territory," he said. "Sabotage operations are being carried out the length and breadth of the Black Knights' sphere of influence. Their response time will be dramatically slowed." V-Two tapped on the map. "Also, do not count on the Indians acting as our reinforcements on the left."
"Why is that?" General Cheng asked.
"They've thrown their lot in with Zero," V-Two replied. The room collectively choked. "No need to fear," he added, enjoying the drama. "He is undone, and he doesn't even know it. When the attack is launched, you will be able to swallow India whole." He smirked. "His Majesty's gift to you."
….
Colonel Spacer's Private Quarters, Black Tiger Mercenary Company Mobile Headquarters, Aau, Rajasthan, Republic of India
How was the geass undone?
Lelouch paced back and forth in front of his desk, hands clasped behind his back. He had ditched his jacket and sunglasses, and his eyes glowed in the sparsely lit room. C-Two lay on his bed a few feet away. She wore a low cut red gown that gave an eye watering view of her cleavage; a fact she seemed acutely aware of, since she lay face up at the foot of the bed so that Lelouch could get a good, long look. He had been mesmerized twice already by the gentle rise and fall of her bosom, and so now refused to look at her.
It can't have been the Geass Canceler. She'd be kicking the crap out of me right now. So was the command subordinated by another?
The only other geass power he could think of that could do that was the Emperor's, but Charles certainly hadn't stopped by Japan for a visit.
The only things that Mitsuki and Hinata have reported on are frequent headaches and sudden bouts of absentmindedness. Regrettable, but necessary.
Mitsuki and Hinata, in addition to their regular duties in the Palace, were Intelligence operatives, assigned to keep watch on the Black Knights in Lelouch's absence. The last time he'd left the Black Knights alone for an extended period of time, they had sold him out to the Empire. He refused to be blindsided again.
Clearly, someone or a group of someones with geass related powers is active in Japan. His eyes widened a fraction. Could they have compromised Ohgi? Is that why he's here?
No, no he was just being paranoid. If Ohgi were compromised, he'd already be dead or captured. The man had had plenty of opportunities to get the drop on him.
Or he could have simply sold out Japan while I was gone, handed the FLEIJA right over to the Britannians.
Either way, there was no proof Ohgi had been subverted by the Order, and he'd received no intelligence from Hinata and Mitsuki that indicated the Cabinet had either.
BUT WHO THE HELL UNDID THE GEASS?
"Are you certain you do not wish me to stay?" C-Two asked. "I'm certain I can provide some kind of," she hummed playfully, "distraction."
Lelouch kept his eyes level with hers. "I'm quite sure I won't need it," he said. "Likely this has something to do with Villetta. He's far too hung up on the woman."
"Do you think he intends to request her freedom?"
"Don't know. It's not happening, anyway. Not until this war is over." He helped her to her feet, watched her stretch languidly as he did. He placed a hand on her back, ushering her out the door. "Now please leave before he gets the wrong idea."
C-Two giggled. She caressed his cheek with an open palm. "Would it be so wrong?" she asked. She pressed her back against him so that her bottom rubbed across his groin. "This doesn't seem to think so."
Lelouch placed his hands on her hips. Her lips formed a triumphant smirk. She ran her hand up into his hair, and stretched her throat to meet him.
Just before their lips touched, Lelouch said, "Fortunately, it doesn't do my thinking for me." He pulled back.
C-Two chuckled. "Your self-restraint is impressive," she said. "But misguided." She stood up on tiptoe and whispered into his ear, "You want me. I know you do. Why fight the inevitable?" He couldn't stop her from pressing a kiss to his jaw. "Don't you love me, Lelouch?"
"Yes," he answered.
She blinked, surprised. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "Then, then why not?"
"For the same reason I geassed Kallen," he admitted. "Everyone who loves me ends up dead."
He pushed her, gently, towards the door.
She caught his hand as she left, an unreadable expression on her face.
"What is it?" he asked.
She shook her head hesitantly. "I-No, 'tis nothing," she said. "Good luck with your meeting."
She stopped in the hallway just outside, her hand on the doorframe. Her eyes were soft and...regretful. For a single, wild moment, he wanted to close the distance and take her up on her offer. Lovely blue eyes framed by dark red bangs stopped him in his tracks.
The moment passed, and C-Two departed.
He sighed. It's getting harder to refuse her.
He was grateful she was wearing a dress. If it had been naked skin that he pressed his hand upon, he wasn't sure where that would have ended up.
This 180 is ridiculous. She goes from hating my guts to making every attempt to seduce me that she can.
He had way too much on his mind to be worrying about the machinations of a beautiful woman.
Two beautiful women, he amended, Kallen's lovely smile flashing through his mind. And what am I going to do about her?
Despite what he had done, a part of him, most of him, was hopeful to pick things up where they left off that night. He could still remember that night clearly; the softness of her lips; the firm rondure of her breasts; her passionate declarations of love.
Lelouch rubbed his forehead, frustrated
Just how much of a dirtbag am I? he mused.
A few minutes later, Ohgi arrived.
"Alright Ohgi," Lelouch said, sunglasses firmly back in place, "what did you want to discuss?"
Ohgi slid his pistol from the harness in his coat and pointed it at Lelouch.
"Why did you geass Kallen?"