Chapter Seventeen: Growing Concerns
Lelouch had been forced to take several trips since Kallen left.
Events had drawn him all over the settlement. He coordinated troop movements to different places. As he did, he gradually began to see construction crews get to work and even a few police cruisers. Milly reported to him that Kallen had gotten Clovis to take action, though Rolo was surprised.
Rolo made a number of calls to his Father during this time, reporting on the situation. The real issue was transporting the injured and wounded. Much of their efforts were spent cooperating with hospital staff. Clearing the roads early had allowed them to get far more patients to the hospital.
Unfortunately, now the hospitals were filled to capacity.
There was nothing Lelouch could do about that. Well, nothing other than ship medical kits and people with medical experience there. That took a lot of his time, but eventually, Lelouch got back to the RV. Shirley was washing up some pans. Meanwhile, Milly was sorting through stacks of newspapers.
Lelouch took one and wondered where she'd found it. "What's this?"
"Newspapers," said Milly. "Mr. Reid's office came through mostly intact, and he's had the last issues printed provided free. We've got them available for reading, though we're not letting people keep the copies."
"Yeah," said Shirley. "The swim club is out letting people read them."
Lelouch nodded, feeling more exhausted than ever. It was only midday now, but he felt like he had been on his feet for weeks. Sitting down, he found there was a slightly warm pitcher of coffee. Getting a cup, he poured himself some, then some milk from the fridge. Then he sat down.
"I need coffee," said Lelouch.
"So do we all, handsome," said Milly, passing him a newspaper.
Lelouch read it while stirring in some secure. "Oh."
"What is it?" asked Shirley. "Did something happen?"
"Before the hurricane, the Emperor was initiating a troop surge. It was to Afghanistan," said Lelouch. "Apparently, the war there is heating up. Luciano Bradley put forty insurgents on stakes while they were still alive. He also gassed their home villages."
"That's uh... a little brutal," said Shirley.
"Yes," said Lelouch. "It led to a series of reprisals, which he responded to with even greater brutality. To which the Taliban responded with greater brutality. The Chinese Communist Party has officially condemned the measure."
"Aren't the Chinese uh... committing ethnic cleansing on their Muslim population just over the border?" asked Shirley. "And they uh... they're horrified by Sir Bradley?"
"They are communists, and you are expecting them to have a consistent ideology?" asked Lelouch. "The only thing they care about is stealing as much as they possibly can before they flee the country.
"Anyway, Luciano has been declared the Second Coming of Vlad the Impaler. Apparently it was a bit much, even for the Homeland, and the Emperor recalled him to account for his actions. His last action was to order attacks with chemical weapons on all Afgan villages.
"Just so the Taliban have nothing to smile about."
"How is he a knight?!" said Shirley.
"I give you the fruits of a utilitarian philosophy," said Lelouch. "If the only thing that matters to you is the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Luciano Bradley's actions are completely justified. Afghanistan is not an important state in terms of industry, but it could be, given the mineral wealth.
"It's the Graveyard of Empires because the rocky terrain makes it impossible to govern.
"But people are easy to govern when they're dead. So send Luciano Bradley down there and take the muzzle off him. Once he has brutalized the populace into a hollow shell, you send in a second wave to take control. Then you pretend to be upset while reaping all the benefits with none of the associated guilt.
"Of course, nobody is actually going to believe that our glorious Emperor didn't know. Every single area Luciano Bradley goes to becomes a graveyard. He's done this trick a dozen times.
"But the Chinese might get hit by terror attacks if the Islamic States takes over. And the EU are trying to play nice. Afghanistan isn't useful to anyone, so no one cares if the populace gets exterminated. And everyone benefits, especially us."
"Well, it's all a point now," said Milly. "The Emperor can hardly send a troop surge when the war might turn against us here. They're probably being rerouted to Area 11 right now."
"...That's odd," said Lelouch, still reading.
"What is it?" asked Milly.
"It says here that Luciano Bradley also secured an archeological site." Lelouch drew out a phone and checked his maps, and referenced the location. "It's located dead center in the extermination zone. Is someone trying to hide what they're doing there?"
"Well, if they're interested in archeology, why not ask the locals?" asked Shirley.
"You know," said Milly. "I've actually read about ruins like that. They set up a base on Kamine Island near Japan. There's one there, too. Supposedly it's part of an ancient civilization that predates most records."
"Atlantis?" guessed Shirley.
"Probably not," said Lelouch, putting down the paper. "According to this, Princess Cornelia had finished smashing the Iraqi-Iranian Alliance. She was mere hours away from their capitals. And she also provided security to an archeological site."
"You think the Emperor is interested?" asked Shirley.
"Apparently," said Lelouch. He looked out a window at the reconstruction. "You know, everything we've done here would be for nothing if the Communists take Area 11. There's a good chance we'll be invaded, and with things being what they are, I'm not sure we can stop them."
"Well, Jeremiah Gottwald is fortifying the likely invasion points, isn't he?" asked Shirley, finishing up.
Lelouch took a gulp of his coffee, noting the war reports on China. "Maybe.
"But I'm not sure we're in a position to properly fortify anything. There are a lot of resistance groups that would rise up overnight if China invaded. And we don't have any real maps of the ghettos."
"Well, there isn't really anything we can do about it, is there?" asked Milly.
Lelouch thought about that rationally and realized it wasn't the case. "...We already are. We are organizing people into speeding up the reconstruction. That is lightening Clovis' workload. Meaning our defenses will be that much stronger.
"Our response will also be more efficient.
"But it's not enough. We need to do more."
There was a knock on the door.
Lelouch finished his coffee, went over and opened the door. Below the steps, he saw a man clad in Honorary Britannian uniform. "Excuse me, sir! Are you Commander Lamprouge?"
"Well, that's the rank everybody has chosen to give me. How can I help you?" asked Lelouch.
"I'm here on behalf of Suzaku Kururugi of the Honorary Britannian aid units," said the man. "We're working on a humanitarian mission in the ghettos. However, despite aid from the Purebloods, we're running out of resources.
"We were hoping you could help us."
Suzaku Kururugi? He was alive. This was an opportunity too good to miss. "My resources are limited, but I'll do what I can." Lelouch saw Nina behind. "Nina, find out what this man needs and see if we can supply it." If the CCP was going to invade Area 11, what would be the best place? Clovis had the strategic places covered, but what about other angles? Symbolic.
"What we need is actually people," said the man. "Some of us have done construction work, but we don't have many experts. In addition, we're concerned that our presence is attracting bad attention.
"We're not sure we can enter Saitama without being fired at."
"Itsukushima," murmured Lelouch.
"What?" said the man.
"The one great victory Tohdoh of Miracles won against Britannia," said Lelouch. "It was an ideal landing point for us at the time. I think the Chinese are going to attack it."
"So what?" asked Shirley. Isn't it on the wrong side of the continent?"
"Yes, but modern ships could make the journey," said Lelouch. "If you were an ambitious general who wanted to take the enemy by surprise, why not? A surprise landing could let them get a beachhead and divide our forces.
"Shirley, get the swim club together and take a trip to Itsukushima. The trains are back online now."
"What, seriously? Right now?" asked Shirley.
"Yes," said Lelouch. "If I'm right, we can't afford to delay on this. "I want you to look over the place and tell me what military assets there are there. What kind of preparations are there. Also, where would be the good places to swim to shore."
"Um, okay, sure," said Shirley, putting her stuff down.
"Is something going on?" asked the man.
"Oh nothing, just a theory," said Lelouch. "I'll go meet Kururugi myself and take care of this. Milly, you're in charge until I get back. Nina, start getting these supplies.
"And tell Rivalz to go check up on Nunnally and Sayoko and find out the status on the school. We might have people we can use in Ashford Academy."
"Right, but uh... you sure you don't need help?" asked Milly.
"I'm sure," said Lelouch. "Tell Nunnally I'll be back soon.
"Try to make some calls and try to figure out where the Britannian forces are strongest. We'll try to do something about the weak spots."
This was becoming a chore rapidly.
As he walked out of the RV, looking to where people were working to ferry supplies onto cars. They'd mostly exhausted the mall by now, but this replaces had become a supply depot to bring salvage. He saw Leila speaking on her phone and moved toward her, seeing her hang up.
At that moment, a Knightmare drove into place as expected. Several, actually, all of them southerlands painted in blue. "Attention citizens of Britannia," said Villetta, to scattered cheers. "This is Lady Villetta Nu of the Pureblood faction. We are here to provide security for this operation and will not interfere with your actions. Bear in mind, however, that we reserve the right to intervene when necessary."
Lelouch moved forward. "Carry on, people. Appearances can be important, and we've got a lot of work to do.
"For the moment, I have to head out to Shinjuku to meet with an Honorary Britannian operation. I shouldn't be gone long; Milly will be taking command in my absence.
"Just keep things running for a while."
"I could give you a lift," said Leila, filling up her motorcycle with oil. "I'm interested in seeing the ghettos for myself to learn more about colonies. I can take you to Shinjuku."
"I appreciate it," said Lelouch.
"Kallen, go with them as an escort," said Villetta quickly. "Make sure they don't get themselves killed."
"Is that really wise, Lady Villetta?" asked Kallen. "We could provoke a response."
"We can't let the leadership of this organization gets assassinated. Be unobtrusive," said Villetta.
"Let's go then," said Lelouch before seeing Deitard filming with a smile. "Mr. Reid, I hope you've enjoyed yourself."
"Well, hurricane relief is a much more interesting story than most," said Deitard. "So yes, thank you."
And they set out.
Leila drove rapidly through the roads, moving through several recently cleared streets. The construction crews could be seen righting the power poles in some places. Others were demolishing ruined buildings to make way.
"So, why did you decide to come out here personally?" asked Leila in front of him.
"I'm the most street-savvy of my group, and someone had to coordinate with Kururugi," said Lelouch.
"I'll bet," said Kallen from her knightmare. "Do you know him or something? When I mentioned you, he seemed to know you."
"I've met a lot of people, Kallen," said Lelouch, not feeling like answering the question.
"I think you'd remember him," said Leila. "He is the son of the late Prime Minister of Japan. His family disinherited him after becoming an Honorary Britannian. I gather that he spent some time with Kyoto and possibly the JLF."
So that was why Leila was out here—networking with potential contacts.
"Well, then what's he doing out here? Why throw all that away?" asked Kallen.
"It's a question we're interested in as well," said Leila. "He could have been an excellent rallying point for the resistance in Area 11. His loss was, perhaps, a fatal blow to morale. Just as his Father's death was."
"Let's not mention the war," said Lelouch, remembering the bodies. And he realized his surroundings could end up the same. "No one who lived through that on the ground has any good memories of it."
He was going to meet Suzaku soon.
Years had passed, and he wondered how he'd been? How had he changed? And why had he become a Britannian soldier?
"You were part of it, weren't you?" asked Kallen suddenly. "You were here before Area 11 was invaded."
Why the interest? Had she learned something? "A lot of people were here before the invasion, Kallen. Plenty of nobles and merchants and Britannian laborers lived in Area 11. At least before the bombers flew overhead. We just don't talk about it.
"I don't like to dwell on what happened back then. Nunnally was crippled around that time. I remember carrying her through fields of bodies, lying about where we were. The only thing we had was a gun and a bible I'd read to her from. We stole rations from burned-out towns and dodged our own country's helicopters. All for fear we'd be mowed down as enemy soldiers."
"Well, at least it's over and done with. I doubt Britannia is going to invade twice," said Leila.
"Twice?!" shouted Lelouch in horror.
Now he remembered the bodies, the stink, the screams of horror as people were mowed down. He imagined Ashford Academy in flames as Chinese bombers surged overhead. A vision came before him. Rivalz, Milly, Shirley, Nina, all of them dead in a heap as he carried Nunnally through the ruins again.
It could happen.
It was already happening all across this world. Luciano Bradley had done far worse, and no one had cared. And China would do the same if they got in here, damn the Japanese government in exile.
"Lelouch?" asked Kallen.
"We can't let it happen twice," said Lelouch, mind racing. "But it will. The Chinese hate the Japanese. They only accepted the government in exile, so they had a claim to the Sakuradite. If they come in here...
"They'll kill everyone. They'll massacre men, women, and children and justify it by the specter of Nanking. And everybody will just sit by and let it happen because it's not in their interests. The resistance groups will all rise up to help them and the JLF too.
"And then they'll be murdered as thanks.
"The Chinese aren't like Britannia or Clovis. They don't need an excuse to kill entire populations; they'll do it just in case. Or because they have a culture China feels does not fit in.
"They have to be stopped.
"And we have to stop them." He saw the sign for Shinjuku and the tapped Leila on the shoulder. "Pull over here.
"Kallen, stay back and watch. I'll go down directly."
Leila pulled to a halt, and Lelouch found himself pressed against her back for a moment. Getting out, he stood while she looked up in concern. But Lelouch didn't have time for this; he had to work and fast. At the end of today, he had to have everything in place to stop the Chinese Invasion. By now, they knew the storm had ended and were moving across the sea.
It was a matter of days, maybe hours.
So he walked down the stairs as Leila walked behind him. But he saw Suzaku speaking with a large number of men. They looked to the Knightmare then raced off. Seeing his old friend, older and taller, raised emotions he did not have time for. So he put them off.
Deal with this later; stop China now.
"Excuse me, I'm from the Ashford Academy Student Council," said Lelouch, moving forward. "Is Suzaku Kururugi here?"
"Dear God..." said Suzaku as he saw him.
Lelouch raised a hand. "Good morning, it's nice to meet you. My name is Lelouch Lamprouge. I'm afraid we don't have much time to formalities or explanations."
"Right, yes, of course," said Suzaku, standing up straight. "I'm glad your here. The Knightmare is..."
"Compliments of Prince Clovis," said Lelouch. "The Pureblood's ordered I be escorted, and I was not in a position to refuse. Kallen, Leila, come down will you."
Kallen got out of the mech, and Lelouch saw she was clad in a red pilot suit that bared her legs and arms. As she lowered herself down, she and Leila walked down. Suzaku smiled. "Oh, Kallen, you're here."
"This is Leila Macal of the EU, and Kallen Stadtfeld," said Lelouch.
"We've met," said Suzaku. "She got us a lot of the supplies we've been using, but now we've got more supplies than we know what to do with. At first, we got what we needed to distribute. But then more Honorary Britannian's were dispatched to my command."
"You're an officer?" asked Lelouch in surprise.
"I suppose I am now," said Suzaku. "Apparently, the officer core has been stretched thin all over the Area. Everybody is rushing all over the place trying to put together forces to deal with the Chinese."
"Actually, that's one of my concerns," said Lelouch, calculating his options. How could he use this humanitarian effort to win a war? What threats could he neutralize with them, and what steps would be needed. "Are there any Britannian officers here? No offense, Suzaku, but you've been promoted to a very high rank a bit quickly."
"Well, it wasn't a promotion I was expecting," said Suzaku. "We're actually in luck. Lloyd Asplund of the Engineering Core is operating nearby, and we've been working with him. I think you'd like him, though he's a bit eccentric."
"What is the engineering corps doing here?" asked Kallen in surprise.
"Well, a lot of the places they usually work in got swamped," said Suzaku. "There are quite a few empty warehouses out here. They've set up shop here after clearing out some buildings near one of the rail stations.
"They ship out repaired equipment every hour, on the hour.
"I've had a lot of my men helping out running errands for them and helping with manual labor.
We've got people to spare, and they have the opposite problem."
"How can you have people to spare?" asked Kallen. "It's a big ghetto. You can't have covered it all."
"Well..." Suzaku halted. "We're not popular. A lot of people are afraid we're scouts for some sort of operation. And with rumors going around that the Chinese are going to attack. I think the Resistance groups are on the warpath.
"They're probably hoping to start a simultaneous rebellion."
Steps for an operation.
That had to be true, but how to do it? And even if it worked, how did he stop the Chinese landfall? Clovis' forces would need all the help they could get.
"I believe I can help here," said Leila, coming forward. Lelouch noted her stockings had gotten mud on them.
"Can you?" asked Lelouch.
"Why would you?" asked Kallen.
"The EU is not fond of Britannia, but the Chinese would be far worse," said Leila. "In addition to being utterly depraved and godless, they are also inefficient. Communism is a failure's ideology, and you invariably run out of other people's money.
"If they were to gain absolute control of the world's Sakuradite. In the short term, they'd use it to begin conquests of their own. And in the long term, the supply would be destroyed as inefficient policies led to a collapse. Eventually, someone would apply scorched earth tactics."
"Leading to an economic meltdown," said Kallen. "Nina said something about this.
"So, what is your ideal world for Area 11?"
Leila seemed to consider the concept. "A reasonable democracy that is independent of all factions. One that is well within the EU's sphere of influence."
"Didn't we have that before?" asked Suzaku, raising an eyebrow.
"You cut off fuel reserves to Russia during the coldest winter on record, just to make a point," said Kallen.
Suzaku flinched.
"Enough," said Lelouch. "Our first priority is to expand your area of operation and restore order to this area. Suzaku, I'm going to need your help with this. I want you to create detailed maps of the ghetto that we can for future operations."
"That sounds good to me," said Suzaku. "One of our main jobs is scouting. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to Saitama, sooner or later," said Lelouch. "Do we have any channels to them?"
"No," said Suzaku. "We uh... Honorary Britannians don't meet with resistance groups. It tends to get us killed either way."
"Alright then," said Lelouch. "I suppose I am on my own. Take me to Lloyd Asplund, and I'll get transportation from him."
Suzaku nodded. "I'll lead you there right away."
They moved through the broken street, and Lelouch saw many buildings had collapsed. At the same time, many of the streets had been cleared of wreckage. Much of it had been here before the storm, but now there was a clear path. There looked to be medical tents. There were also places where the Japanese were eating and also where they were working.
Eventually, they came to the railway station. It was a kind of organized chaos that only a military operation run off its feet could have. Machines and parts were constantly being transported this way and that. Suzaku led them to where Lelouch saw two people, first a white-haired man in a lab coat. And second, a demure, blue-haired woman clad in a tan shirt and skirt which bared her legs.
"Keep those parts going, will you?" said the white-haired man in an effeminate tone. "We'll need them to restore the Knightmare frames as quickly as possible. And don't break them; they're more valuable than ever now.
"Ah, the tiresome struggles of the brilliant.
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"Are you Lloyd Asplund?" asked Lelouch.
"Indeed I am, the brilliant designer, now reassigned to menial tasks," said Lloyd. "I would be far more interesting to work on my Lancelot, but the call of duty must be heeded."
"We don't even have a device yet, Lloyd," said the woman. "And the project is hardly even in full effect anyway.
"It won't be combat-ready for another year."
"All the more reason to work on it, Cecile, my dear. Now, how can I help you?" asked Lloyd.
"I've been looking over maps and speaking with a lot of other people," said Lelouch. "We're concerned about the possibility of a Chinese Invasion. I was wondering if you had any information on where Britannian troops are headed?"
"At present, the infantry are focused on the coast facing China. Around Kyushu and other coastal territories," said Cecile, stepping forward. "There are also garrisons that have been directed to the docks near the ghettos in case of an incursion."
"Yes, well, we're concerned it won't be enough ourselves," said Lloyd ruefully. "Infantry has become less of a priority in the days of Knightmare combat. We're focused on getting our Knightmare forces back up and running.
"But that's going to take far too long. Even if we finish all our Knightmare frames, dispatching them takes time. It could be too late."
"I see; I was afraid of that," said Lelouch. "I'm actually hoping to do something about it?"
"Really?" asked Cecile. "That seems to be breaking ranks a bit for a humanitarian leader. You are Lelouch Lamprouge, aren't you?"
"At present, I have a lot of guys who own guns and are looking for an excuse to shoot them," admitted Lelouch. "I've posted them between the settlement and the ghetto. They are acting as security under former police officers. But if the Chinese do an invasion, I think they'd be better placed propping up a weakly defended location."
"That may be so, but wouldn't it be just as useful to have a check on the resistance groups here?" asked Cecile, who seemed to have some sense.
"That's why I'm here," said Lelouch. "I need a white flag and transportation to the Saitama ghetto. No knightmares, they'll just slow me down."
"How is that going to help?" asked Kallen incredulously.
"I'm hoping to get them to help us stop the Chinese invasion if it comes," admitted Lelouch. "Every little bit helps. And just having the resistance shooting at the Chinese instead of us could be all the edge we need."
"Well, that might be useful, assuming they don't just shoot you," noted Lloyd. "I'm sure you'll make an excellent martyr in the news anyway."
"Well, it's not as though I have anything better to do," said Lelouch. "Suzaku, I want you to have some units of Honorary Britannians standing by. If we have citizens of Britannia helping out, it'll sabotage Chinese diplomacy.
"I doubt racial tensions have cooled much since the Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere."
"I'll lead the operation myself," said Suzaku.
"Good," said Lelouch. "Just don't do it until I give the word. We don't want any trouble."
"You seem to feel like you are in a position of authority, don't you?" asked Lloyd.
"Do you want to take responsibility for this kind of mission and the potential backfire?" asked Lelouch. "Or would you prefer we do nothing and get enslaved by the Chinese?"
"That uh..." Cecile paused. "That might get our funding cut if this goes south."
"I see your point," said Lloyd. "Very well. I must prefer repair work anyway."
"There is something you should know," said Cecile. "There's a relief effort from the Four Houses of Kyoto there already. They've been providing aid in the region and assure us things are well in hand."
"By which they mean they want all the credit, and we don't need to do any work," said Lloyd.
"All the more reason to steal their thunder," said Lelouch. "Kyoto might side with the Chinese if things go badly. And some of them might even be cooperating with them now."
"I don't think they'd do that, Lelouch," said Suzaku. "I uh... spent some time with them, and some are nationalist hardliners. And they never break with eachother.
"They're loyal to the memory of Japan, in their own way."
"If given a choice to swap out Britannia for a better deal, they might take it," noted Lelouch. "Especially if they were afraid of losing their power."
"Yes, well, ideals don't exactly flourish when you're likely to lose a lot of money," said Lloyd, waving them off. "Cecile, would you drive them over, I have my keep to earn. You'll be our representative in this little quest.
"It's best if we have a Britannian officer to overrule any misuse of authority. As well as to back up Suzaku's authority if Milner or someone else tries to overrule him."
"Right, yes, of course," said Cecile.
Other arrangements were made. Suzaku coordinated the beginning of the mapping of the settlement. At the same time, Lelouch took Kallen to one side. "Kallen, can I talk to you?"
"Yes?" asked Kallen.
"You mentioned once or twice you have friends from before the settlement?" asked Lelouch.
"Yes," said Kallen.
"Can you get in contact with them?" asked Lelouch. "I need information, and every bit helps. I know it's a long shot. But if they could get some of the moderate resistance forces to pitch into this plan, it could be a huge help."
"I could probably do that, yeah," said Kallen. "But it could take a while. This isn't the kind of conversation I can have over the phone. And I can't promise anything, they uh... just because they live near a resistance base doesn't mean they have sway."
"Do what you can, then," said Lelouch. "A Knightmare isn't doing us any good here, anyway." Then turning to Leila, who was watching, he moved over to her. "Leila, I want you to get a meeting with whoever is running the Kyoto operation. Figure out what they are doing and get a sense of things. They might talk to an EU ambassador about things they won't talk to us."
"You're giving me orders?" asked Leila, raising an eyebrow.
"Insofar as I seem to be the one in command, yes," said Lelouch. "You did volunteer to serve in my forces?"
"Very well," said Leila. "I'll get to them at once."
And Leila and Kallen hurried off. Lelouch leaned against a warehouse wall, feeling more worn out than ever. It was during this that Cecile found him. "My, you two seem to get on well.
"But uh...
"Are you sure you want to go to Saitama? I mean, the last time you met those people, they nearly killed you."
Lelouch smiled. "On the contrary. I nearly killed them."