And here is the first of two updates in the month of April.
This is part one of the battle. Considering I spent three months coming up with the strategy/counter-strategy—and by this I mean actually writing it out. Coming up with the counter strategy hadn't been that hard. It was writing it that was the hard part—I really really hope you enjoy it.
Anyway, thank you to Blacksword Zero, Adamantium-Soldier74, DYnoJackal19, OBSERVER01, TC9078, B-Kira, Guest, DarthMaine, Shadow-Shinobi666, and Shimmering-Sky for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
. . .
. . .
January 11, 2014
Hidden Base, Island of Olkhon, Europia United
Michal made his way down the hallway toward the main conference room, bypassing other members of the Liberators who waved at him or called out greetings. He responded in turn and, rounding the corner, came to a stop outside the conference room. Raising a hand, he knocked.
"Come in," Unity's voice called and Michal opened the door before stepping into the room, noticing that Reyes was there as was Nightfall and they were glaring at each other.
"You took your sweet ol' fucking time. Why the hell do I have to be here with him anyway?" Nightfall complained, pointing at Reyes who sneered at him.
"Can't say I'm thrilled to be here with you either, gilipollas," Reyes retorted.
"Why you…?" Nightfall launched himself across the table and both he and Reyes went down in a tangle of limbs.
Unity let out a long exasperated sigh as he stood up while Nightfall and Reyes rolled on the floor of the conference room, hitting each other with punches and scratches. "Michal, help me separate them," he said.
Michal nodded and the two of them moved over to the fighting Liberators. Michal grabbed Reyes while Unity grabbed Nightfall and quickly separated them, Nightfall unleashing a full rant of curse words while Reyes shouted his own curses, in Spanish, back at Nightfall.
"Calm down, you two, and act your age," Unity said.
It took a few minutes but, finally, Nightfall and Reyes calmed down and retook their seats, though they were still glaring at each other.
"Anyway, back to the matter at hand, the reason why Reyes is here is connected with why I called Michal here," Unity said as he returned to his seat at the head of the table and Michal sat down next to Reyes. "Michal, I have a mission for you and I want Reyes to accompany you."
"What is it?" Michal asked.
"I want you to lead another cell of the Liberators into Japan," Unity said. "Reyes will serve as your second in command; you'll work on supplying any resistances that form in Japan but keep a low profile for now."
"Why do we need another cell in Japan? We already have the one Nightfall's in control of," Reyes said.
Even if I'm not entirely sure having someone as psychotic as Nightfall in charge of a cell is such a good idea. But then, I'm still questioning why Unity chose Nightfall as his second, Michal thought.
"Why not another cell in South America? It's much larger than Japan is and could use another cell," Reyes added.
"Yes but Japan controls the vast majority of the Sakuradite in the world and I want another cell there because of that. Not only that but, in the past four years, Japan has become the area with the highest number of terrorists, even if they aren't quite that active. As such, I believe there may be plenty of potential recruits and I do not think Nightfall has enough men; however, it would be safer to have two cells than to increase the size of one."
"Tch, I don't need these bastards' help. I can handle the fucking job by myself," Nightfall growled, folding his arms across his chest in anger.
"Having extra help can only help you, Nightfall," Unity said.
"Tch, whatever." Nightfall fell silent and Michal had the distinct impression that he was sulking.
"If Michal and I will be in charge of our own cell, does that mean we won't have to interact with Nightfall often?" Reyes asked hopefully.
"Not really, not unless we have meetings such as this again," Unity said.
"I can deal with that," Reyes said.
"When should we head out?" Michal asked.
"As soon as possible," Unity replied.
. . .
24
So Strikes the Tempest
July 17, 2016
Sapporo, Hokkaido, Area 11
"He's back? Fuck!" Reyes groaned when Michal informed him of his meeting with the two leaders of the Liberators. "I was really hoping that he wouldn't come back when he left for the Chinese Federation last year."
"I still can't believe that he didn't keep in contact with anyone after he left. I wonder what happened to his cell. They never contacted us, though Unity did say that he's been in contact them so I suppose they're still doing well, even if they haven't made any moves," Michal said.
"Wonder if Nightfall came back 'cause you showed him up by actually dealing a pretty strong blow against Britannia, something he hasn't been able to do since he formed the first cell here in Japan," Reyes mused.
Michal shrugged. "Who knows? Though...it is curious. You know about the attacks that happened on Sapporo and Hakodate back in January?"
"Yeah, what about 'em?"
"Just how they happened. Attacking the civilians at Sapporo and then attacking the military base at Hakodate within a day of the attack at Sapporo," Michal said, pressing his lips together as he turned his gaze to the large windows of the office he was standing in. His brow furrowed in thought as he gazed at the city below. It was almost completely devoid of citizens since he and the majority of the Liberators cell he was in charge of had taken control of the city; all of the citizens had evacuated to the mountains. Michal hadn't wanted innocent civilian blood on his hands so, after he and his men took out the military men, he ordered the civilians to evacuate or else and they had fled.
He had only done that because he knew that Britannia would come back and, while he would be alerted to the Britannians approach thanks to the lookout he had at the Hakodate Military Base and could prepare ahead of time, that did not mean he would be able to evacuate the civilians. He didn't want a repeat of what happened back in January.
"Okay, I don't get your point," Reyes said, bringing Michal out of his thoughts and back to the conversation he was having with his second.
"It just...seems like something Nightfall would do," Michal said finally. "We both know that Nightfall, well..."
"...is a complete psychopath?" Reyes said.
"Well, I was gonna say enjoys killing but, yeah, that works too, so...do you suppose it's possible he was behind what happened at Sapporo and Hakodate in January?"
"That's pretty far-fetched, Michal. The bastard may be psychotic enough to actually enjoy killing but he does have some set of morals, however small they are; he won't attack or kill civilians. He and his men will only go after the military," Reyes said.
"I suppose so. But would he kill civilians if they were in his way?" Reyes knew Nightfall better than Michal, since they had worked together before the Liberators formed—and it was during that time that Michal was sure Reyes's and Nightfall's mutual hatred for each other developed—and if anyone would know if he would do that, it would be Reyes.
Reyes pressed his lips together. "I've never seen it happen but I suppose it's possible. I mean, he is a psychopath; there's no telling what goes on in that fucked-up mind of his," he said. "So, yeah, I guess I could see him as being responsible. However, there's a flaw in your idea."
"Hmm? What's that?"
"Nightfall's been in the Chinese Federation for the last year."
Michal's brow furrowed. "I know that but...he could've commanded the attack from afar. It wouldn't be the first time he's done that. Remember the fight against the Knight of Ten and his Valkyries in Area 2 five years ago?" During that battle, Nightfall had commanded it while he was still at an outpost near the main base in the EU.
"That's true," Reyes said. "I guess it really is possible." He shook his head and stood up, stretching. "But I don't think we should worry 'bout that now. The enemy's gonna be coming sooner or later so we should prepare."
Michal nodded in agreement.
. . .
Beach, Island of Olkhon, Europia United
Adeline dug her toes into the white sand as she relaxed on her back, her blue eyes fixed on the sky above her head. She took a deep breath and, holding it for a second, released it slowly before repeating the process, as she folded her arms behind her head. She was bored out of her mind. Her big brother was busy with his duties to the Liberators as well as preparing to send another small squad of Lupi to Michal's cell on Hokkaido Island.
It made Adeline wonder if, perhaps, she could convince her brother to let her go and help out. She was bored and wanted to help out with the Liberators; even if she was still only fourteen, almost fifteen, and didn't have very good memories of the last time she'd witnessed combat. She knew that the Starfire wasn't ready to engage in battle but the Lupi were. The Lupus had, basically, been the knightmare that Alexei tested his Diamond Bladed weapons on by creating the Diamond-tipped Claws in order to test whether his theory about them would work or not. They were also supposed to be Alexei's attempt at creating a knightmare that could transform into two different forms; unfortunately, he hadn't been able to get the Lupus to transform out of Wolf Mode once it shifted form. Nonetheless, they were pretty strong knightmares and Adeline enjoyed piloting them and could pilot them very well. She knew that she could fight in the battle that she knew was coming on Hokkaido Island but she didn't know if her brother would let her.
As if just thinking about him called him up, Adeline was suddenly aware of her brother sitting down next to her on the beach. "Hey Brother. Everything ready to be sent out to Hokkaido?" Adeline asked.
Unity nodded, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his lap. "It's going to take them about two days, at least, to reach the island," he said.
"Have they left yet?" Adeline asked.
"Not yet. They're still fueling the carrier but they'll be leaving within the hour," Unity said. "Why do you ask?"
Adeline curled her legs under her as she turned to face her brother. "I wanna go with," she said bluntly.
"They're heading straight for a battle, Adeline," Unity reminded her.
"I know that but I wanna go with. I can pilot a Lupus and help. I've been wanting to help for a while and, since the Starfire isn't ready for full combat yet, I can help this way," Adeline said. "Please, brother, let me help."
But Unity was already shaking his head. "You're only fourteen, Adeline. I'm not having you fight just yet. I know you want to help with the Liberators but fighting on the frontlines is not something I want you to do at your age," he said.
"But I can help!" Adeline protested stubbornly, getting to her feet and folding her arms across her chest. And I'm almost fifteen anyway. "Besides, you weren't much older than me when you started the Liberators."
Unity also got to his feet. "You're my little sister, Adeline. I want to keep you safe," he said.
"I can take care of myself," Adeline protested, a scowling crossing her lips. "I'm not a child anymore. I can do this!"
"You're only fourteen," Unity repeated. "The answer's no. You can't help in the battle on Hokkaido Island."
"They could use my help," Adeline exclaimed in frustration.
"They are perfectly capable of fighting that battle themselves."
"But why shouldn't they have extra help? Besides, Prince Schneizel proved that your strategy isn't foolproof. What happens if the Britannians counteract your strategy?"
"The commander they're going against is too inexperienced to counteract my strategy. This battle, while likely not going to be an easy one—then again, none of our battles are easy ones—is going to be in our favor. We have the advantage here. There's no need for you to go to the frontlines, Adeline," Unity said.
"But..."
"My answer is final. You cannot go to Hokkaido," Unity said firmly, glaring at her.
Adeline, folding her arms across her chest and scowling, nodded and looked away, glaring at the sand, irritated beyond belief that Unity was treating her like she was a fragile child and not allowing her to help even though she could. Damn overprotective older brothers. "Yes, Big Brother," she said.
Unity sighed and placed a hand on Adeline's shoulder, causing the golden-haired young woman to look at him. "There will be plenty of engagements in the future that you can take part of, Adeline. And know that I just want you to be safe," he said.
"Yeah, yeah."
Unity lowered his hand and walked away. Adeline watched him go, pressing her lips tightly together as she watched Unity disappear into the warehouse that lay behind them. She didn't know how long she remained standing on the beach before she finally came to a conclusion in her mind. Her brother was being overprotective and it really grated on her nerves but she decided that she wasn't going to let that hinder her.
The Liberators could use her help and so she was going to help them, whether her brother liked it or not. Her brother probably wouldn't be too happy with her doing something behind his back but, perhaps, if he saw just how strong a knightmare pilot she was and that she really could help then maybe he would be willing to see that she wasn't a child anymore. And if that happened then he would be more willing to let her take a more active role in the Liberators.
She jogged toward the warehouse, intent on going to her room, changing, and then sneaking on board the carrier heading for Hokkaido Island. She only had an hour to get inside the carrier and she had to do ensure that her big brother didn't see her.
I'm sorry I'm going behind your back, big brother, but if you refuse to see that I'm not a child that needs to be coddled anymore than I will show you that I'm not, she thought.
. . .
Abandoned Military Base, Southeast of Sapporo
Lelouch walked around the military base, noting that the thick layer of dust suggested that the base hadn't been used in a while. The scorch marks, scars on the wall, and bones that littered the floor suggested that a battle had taken place and Lelouch wondered when the battle occurred there. He made a mental note to ask Dimitri when he got back to the G1.
"Why're we here anyway, Your Highness?" Kay asked as Rayne let out a loud sneeze, causing some dust to spray in the air.
"Curiosity, mostly," Lelouch said. "I never knew there was another base here. Besides, there might be some information and supplies here that we could use. It will also serve as a good rendezvous should things go wrong." Not that I'm planning on things going wrong. I can't afford to lose here, he thought but didn't repeat that thought out loud.
"I suppose so," Kay said.
Rayne sneezed again. "Damn, there's so much dust in here. When's the last time this base has been used?" she asked as they made their way deeper into it, heading toward where Dimitri, who had managed to get a layout of the old base, said the command center was located.
"It must have been a while," Kay said.
"Jeremiah, do you know when this base was last used?" Lelouch asked, turning his gaze to the last member of their group.
Jeremiah frowned before shaking his head. "No. I didn't even know this place existed but, then, I've never been to Hokkaido Island. I was usually deployed around Tokyo, Your Highness," he said.
"Hmm, it's possible that this base hasn't been used since the invasion, considering the number of skulls and bones we've come across," Lelouch said thoughtfully.
"It's a possibility, Your Highness."
The four of them entered a hallway that would take them to the command center and they walked down it, meandering around some bones and skulls that littered the floor. It really didn't faze Lelouch that much; he had seen worse during the invasion.
They finally reached the command center and, meandering his way around the remains of a table at the center, Lelouch walked over to the computers. Brushing off some dust and cobwebs on one of them, he pressed the power button, a bit surprised when it came on.
Sitting down on the chair, he hacked into the main computer—he may not be on Dimitri's level of expertise when it came to hacking but he did know a few things—and began searching for the last logs logged into the computer. While he did that, he found an encrypted file so he turned on his communicator.
"Prince Lelouch to base, do you read?" he said.
"I read you, Your Highness," Lieutenant Colonel Soresi, whom Lelouch had left in command of the G1 while he was in the military base, said. "What is it you need?"
"I would like you to connect me to the Intelligence Unit," Lelouch said.
"Yes, Your Highness. One moment." Soresi fell silent and Lelouch waited, scanning through the other logs, for the analysts to respond.
A moment later, the communicator came back to life. "This is Lieutenant Linder, Head of the Intelligence Unit. What do you need, Your Highness?" a male voice sounded on the other end.
"I've found an encrypted file within a computer in the military base," Lelouch said, scrolling back up to the encrypted log. "I will be sending it to you now and I want you to attempt to decipher it. Contact me as soon as you have any results."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lelouch then worked on sending the encrypted file to the team of analysts back with the rest of the Regiment.
"What do you think it is, Your Highness?" Kay asked.
"I'm not entirely sure but if the Elevens would go so far as to encrypt it, it must be important," Lelouch said, scanning the rest of the files and logs on the computer but didn't find much of interest. Most of it was just logs of the ongoings of the military base.
His earphone chimed about half an hour later and Lelouch turned it on. "Yes?" he said into the headset's microphone.
"Your Highness, we've managed to decrypt the file and are sending you it now. We're keeping a copy for informational purposes however," Linder said and Lelouch returned his gaze to the main computer as he received the decrypted file. He opened it and saw there was only one file labeled 'Lupus Project' and he clicked on it, revealing a set of documents and a transcript of a log dated for August 24, 2010.
He clicked on the link to open the log and read through the transcript, his lips pressed together in a thin line.
August 24, 2010 3:05 PM: Under attack by the Britannian Army. General Akimoto Saito has ordered the withdrawal of all forces to protect the base. Evacuation orders for the personnel and supplies has been issued
August 24, 2010 3:30 PM: Britannian Forces have infiltrated the base. Akimoto-sama and the Hana Brigade are holding them off. Major Murase-san has been ordered to oversee evacuation of the technicians along with all documents and anything related to the Lupus project.
August 24, 2010 4:05 PM: Akimoto-sama has successfully pushed the Britannians back to the outer compound of the base. Evacuation of the technicians has been successful.
August 24, 2010 4:20 PM: Britannians have overrun the base. Akimoto-sama has ordered the abandonment of the base. Orders have been issued to destroy all copies of documents and logs related to the Lupus project. Original documents and logs to be transferred to the main computer and encrypted for retrieval at a later time.
Closing out of the log, Lelouch frowned to himself. What is this Lupus Project that they mentioned? He thought and went back to the other documents, clicking on one that read 'Summary' and reading through the information.
The Lupus is a planned sixth-generation knightmare frame. Akimoto Saito, a member of the Liberators, brought the Lupus's schematics to the Japanese in the hope of completing them and mass-producing them in order to increase the strength of the Japanese Military Force to, someday, combat Britannia. The Lupus originated from the schematics of the fourth-generation Glasgows that were copied by the Liberators in early 2008. Scientists, hired by the Japanese Department of Technology, have been attempting to finish the schematics for the Lupus but, so far, have been met with unsatisfactory results.
The date of the summary was June 2010. Lelouch went back to scanning the rest of the documents, noting that the incomplete schematics were in one of the files. He opened them up, studying the knightmare frame; it looked shaped like a canine, similar to the canine-like knightmare frames that Schneizel had included in his own report.
Does this mean that the Liberators managed to complete the schematics for the Lupus and mass-produce them? Lelouch thought, pressing his lips together as he closed the file.
"Did you find something, Your Highness?" Jeremiah asked.
"Possibly," Lelouch said as he shut down the computer and stood up, stretching. "Either way, this base was, originally, a base belonging to the Eleven Military before the invasion. I still don't know why Britannia never used it though. Either way, it will serve us well as a place to rendezvous should we need it. For now, we'll rest here for the night."
. . .
July 18, 2016
Toyohira Ghetto, Hokkaido
Stonewell lowered her binoculars and scrambled down from the tree that she had climbed up earlier, jumping the remaining feet once she was on the lowest branch, and making her way back to the convoy that was located just on the outskirts of the large city. The ghettos that surrounded Sapporo weren't in nearly as bad a condition as the ones around Tokyo or Osaka but they were still mysteriously empty. Still, it made for a good hiding place for the convoy while they waited for orders to launch their assault. They were currently located on the outskirts of the Toyohira Ghetto just west of Sapporo.
"It doesn't look as if the Liberators' forces have been alerted to our presence, Your Highness. However, there is a military presence around the Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office near Odori Park. There is also a military presence around the Sapporo Clock Tower to the northeast," Stonewell reported.
Lelouch pressed his lips together in thought as he turned his attention to the map that lay in front of him. "If we attack the ward then it's likely that the units stationed around the Clock Tower will attack us from the northeast, pinning us between their two forces," he murmured. "We aren't dealing with their full power, since a third was defeated at Hakodate, but that doesn't mean we should underestimate them." If I am correct about what strategy they will employ then attacking them head-on and driving them away from the city would be our best bet. They won't attack right away, if they still follow the strategy that has won them so many engagements. After that, I simply have to prepare for the imminent seemingly unconnected attack. If that occurs then it's a safe bet that they will employ their usual strategy.
"We will be attacking the Sapporo City Chūō Ward. Get everyone into position and ready to move out on my command," Lelouch said. "I will issue more orders once everyone is en route."
"Yes, Your Highness," everyone declared and set out to move.
Lelouch rolled up the map and tucked it away while some soldiers put the folding table up. Then Lelouch headed back into the G1 to oversee the first phase of his plan. His primary focus, at the moment, was to take back Sapporo and drive the Liberators out of the city; if he was right about what the Liberators were planning on doing then the battle would be very quick.
However, he knew that some of his orders probably wouldn't be very well received.
As it turned out, he was right.
"What?! You want us to sit this battle out?" Jeremiah exclaimed.
"And us too?" Kay said confused.
Lelouch had just ordered the 23rd Squadron and the 16th Squadron, which was the Purist Faction lead by Jeremiah, along with the 1st Squadron, 5th Squadron and 8th Squadron to sit the upcoming battle out. He knew that they weren't going to like it but, if his plan was going to work then he couldn't show all of his cards at once.
"I understand your confusion," Lelouch said patiently. "However, in order to win against the Liberators, I need to keep a few cards up my sleeve. You five are the best knightmare squadrons in the entire Black Knights; therefore, I want to keep you in reserve for when the true fight begins."
"True fight, Your Highness?" Jeremiah said in confusion.
"Yes. For now, I want you to wait in the Toyohira Ghetto until further notice," Lelouch said, leaning over the three-dimensional topographical map of the city, General Andon, standing next to him and watching him with a furrowed brow, said nothing.
At the chorus of "yes, your Highness," Lelouch returned his attention to the map as he watched the rest of his regiment get into position. By removing five knightmare squadrons, Lelouch had divided his forces nearly in half; a little over one-half was heading for the Ward Office while the remaining half—those five knightmare squadrons—was being held back in reserve.
"You're not attacking with the entire regiment," Andon said. It wasn't a question.
"I have a plan, General," Lelouch said, eyes still on the movements of the blue triangle blips on the topographical map. He tapped the communication button that would connect him to Lieutenant Colonel Glendon, the leader of the current half of the regiment. "Lieutenant Colonel, are you in position?"
"Yes, Your Highness. What are your orders?" Lieutenant Colonel Glendon asked.
"Attack at will. Take out that enemy. Be prepared for reinforcements to arrive from the northeast," Lelouch ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness." While Glendon sounded puzzled about the full frontal assault, he did as he was told and Lelouch watched as the blips surged forward.
"I want an onscreen satellite view of the battle," he ordered and Dimitri quickly brought it up on the screen, showing the clash. Sutherlands and Glasgows fought each other while tanks rolled up and fired at the knightmares, only to be met by missiles from the missile launchers the foot soldiers had set up just behind the line of knightmares.
Much to everyone's surprise, except Lelouch's, the reinforcements to the northeast never showed up and the enemy actually retreated after getting bombarded, only a few times, by missiles and the Sutherlands that were attacking them.
Andon stared. "What?" he said in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense. The Liberators wouldn't just pack up and leave so quickly."
"I agree. They have something planned and retreating was part of their plan," Lelouch agreed before ordering the G1 as well as the 1st Squadron to join with the rest of the group at the Ward Office.
He then contacted Jeremiah, Kay, Lieutenant Colonel Frost, who was in charge of the 5th Squadron, and Major Frost, who was in charge of the 8th Squadron. "I have a special set of orders for the four of you," he said once he was connected to the four of them.
"What are your orders, Your Highness?" Kay asked.
Lelouch smiled as he relayed his orders to the four squadrons.
He also reminded himself to speak with Suzaku about his own set of orders for the upcoming engagement.
. . .
Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Diethard followed Prince Lelouch as he led the way through the empty Ward Office toward the office he had claimed as his own as soon as he had arrived at the heart of Sapporo. The reporter was still brimming with confusion at just how easy it was for the prince to actually force the Liberators to retreat; it just didn't seem like the Liberators at all to not put up much of fight and just retreat as quickly as they had. Out of all the articles that Diethard had read and all the information from his various contacts throughout Area 11, the broadcast journalist had learned that the Liberators were much too prideful to let themselves lose so easily.
General Andon, who was walking at Prince Lelouch's side, seemed just as confused as Diethard was. His lips were pressed together and his brow was furrowed in thought as if he was attempting to puzzle out the rather anticlimactic battle that had just taken place.
Truth be told, Diethard couldn't really count it as a battle since the Liberators had retreated within only minutes of getting attacked, and those reinforcements at the Clock Tower hadn't even bothered on showing up. It really was mind-boggling and made Diethard wonder just what the hell was going on.
"So if retreating like that was part of their plan, what do you suppose they are trying to do, Your Highness?" Andon asked, breaking the silence and making Diethard blink; he hadn't thought that the Liberators' retreating could be part of a bigger plan. Then again, he wasn't well versed in military affairs. He was a journalist after all, not a military commander.
"If you'll recall from the varies reports of the military's engagement with the Liberators in the past, you'll recall that many of the engagements in which Britannia attacked a city or base that the Liberators controlled, the Liberators spent most of their time focused on retreating rather than fighting back. Then they launched a seemingly random attack, like a bombing, a day or two later," Prince Lelouch said.
"You think that they will do that here?" Andon asked.
"It's a very definite possibility. They would not have retreated so easily if they didn't have a plan and that could, very well, be their plan. If not, I have a contingency plan that has already been put into place."
"You mean those orders you gave to the leaders of the 5th, 8th, 16th, and 23rd Squadrons?" Andon said, brow furrowed again in puzzlement. "Though I still don't understand why you gave such orders to them."
"It's all part of the plan, General," the prince said nonchalantly. He cast a sidelong glance at the general and added, "and their roles all depend on what the Liberators' next move is."
He stepped into the office and walked over to the desk, sitting down and adding, "For now, we rest and wait. It's the Liberators' move. Let's see what they do with it."
"If we're resting and waiting, do you suppose I can interview you now?" Diethard asked eagerly. When he had told his boss that he would be accompanying Prince Lelouch on his journey to take on the rest of the Liberators' Eleven cell at Sapporo, his boss had insisted that he report on the entire situation in order to keep the people informed of what was going on. Thus, one of the first things that Diethard decided to do was report on the so-called 'battle' of Sapporo, broadcasting his report live to the rest of Area 11, and, perhaps, get more information about Prince Lelouch out for the public.
Lelouch cast him a slightly amused glance and then his eyes went thoughtful. "I suppose it would be best to inform the people of what I truly feel about this situation," he said. "All right, Mr. Ried, though it will only be a brief one, for now."
"I can live with that," Diethard said, grinning.
. . .
Meeting Room, Student Council Clubhouse
Shirley looked up from the origami crane that she was working on as the television show that she, and the rest of the Student Council, were listening to changed and the 'Breaking News' bulletin flashed across the screen. "Huh? Wonder what's going on," she said.
"Who knows?" Milly said before she reached over for the remote and turned the television up as the screen changed and a blonde man with his hair in a ponytail appeared on the screen.
"This is Diethard Ried, reporting live from Sapporo, Hokkaido in Area 11," the blonde man began. "While the military has deemed it necessary to keep this information from the public's eyes and ears, we, at HiTV, believe the people have the right to know what is happening. Almost three weeks ago, the Island of Hokkaido, in northern Area 11, was overrun by a cell of the terrorist organization known as the Liberators."
Shirley blinked. Naturally, everyone had heard about the Liberators; they were a nearly undefeated terrorist organization whose only loss came from their engagement with Prince Schneizel in Cambodia. Shirley only knew that because she had read it in the newspaper soon after it happened; she really didn't pay that much attention to military events, until now with her friend—and crush—being part of the military.
"Oh no," Nunnally, who was at Shirley's side, whispered.
"While it is unclear of just how the Liberators have managed to take control of the island of Hokkaido, the fact remains that they have. Hokkaido is known for being the home of the majority of Britannia's knightmare factories in Area 11 and it is believed that this is the reason why the Liberators have taken control of it."
"However, the military has stepped in to take back Hokkaido by sending in the 11th Regiment, nicknamed the Black Knights, under the command of the Eleventh Prince, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia," Ried went on.
"Big Brother?" Nunnally said surprised.
"Well, he did say he was heading for Hokkaido," Milly said.
"Two days ago, Prince Lelouch successfully defeated a fraction of the Liberators' Eleven cell stationed at the military base at Hakodate and, earlier today, he also successfully forced the rest of the Liberators' Eleven cell out of Sapporo," Ried went on.
"Whoa, really? Did Lelouch actually win against the Liberators?" Kallen murmured.
Tara frowned, her dark eyes narrowing. "How?" she murmured.
"We go live to the Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office where Prince Lelouch has agreed to speak to us about his win," Ried said and the camera panned away as Ried walked over to join the familiar form of Lelouch.
Lelouch was standing on the steps of the stairs, talking quietly to a green-haired elderly man. Shirley saw Kallen's eyes narrow out of the corner of her eye and turned to her to see the red-haired girl clenching her hands. When Kallen noticed she was watching, she quickly relaxed ad gave Shirley a puzzled look. "What?" she asked meekly.
"Nothing," Shirley said and returned her attention to the TV.
"Your Highness, you've achieved a rather impressive victory here today. What are your thoughts on your win against the Liberators?" Ried asked as Lelouch turned his attention to the reporter.
"My thoughts, Mr. Ried?" Lelouch said. "My thoughts are simply this; this is not over yet."
"What do you mean, Your Highness?" Ried said.
"The Liberators retreated too soon after my men attacked them. Considering that they are nearly undefeated, it seemed rather odd to me that they would give up so easily and allow me to win. That is why I believe that they are simply bidding their time and preparing to strike back once they have regrouped," Lelouch said calmly, his face was impassive. "Because that is what I believe will happen, I do not count this victory as a true victory."
"I see. Are you confident that you can pull off a victory against the Liberators should they decide to attack again?" Ried asked.
"I am confident that I can," Lelouch said simply.
"Tch, arrogant bastard," Tara growled.
Nunnally frowned at Tara. "He's not being arrogant, Tara," she chided gently. "He's being confident. He once told our brother Schneizel that confidence in one's ability to win can help motivate that person to work harder to win."
"Oh shut up. I never asked for your opinion," Tara shot back scornfully.
Nunnally jerked back as if slapped, hurt crossing her face.
Shirley, curling her arm around Nunnally's shoulders, frowned at Tara. "That was uncalled for, Tara," she scolded.
"Yeah, she was just..." Rivalz began.
"I don't care," Tara said and returned her attention to the TV.
"Gees, what's her problem? She's been moody and irritable since the dance," Rivalz said. "Is she PMSing?"
"Rivalz!" Shirley cried.
"What?"
"Guys, Lelouch is speaking again," Milly said, drawing everyone's attention back to the TV screen.
"...have a plan should the Liberators decide to return, as I expect them to," Lelouch was saying. "The Liberators may be nearly undefeated but my brother Schneizel proved that they can be defeated and I plan on doing the same."
"Bold words, Your Highness," Ried said. "Some might say your confidence is simply arrogance."
"Some see confidence and arrogance as the same thing, yes, but confidence can motivate one to work hard to achieve their objective whereas arrogance is one believing that they've already won before the engagement has even begun. I am not arrogant enough to believe that; I know that the coming battle is going to be a difficult one, much more difficult than my engagement with the Crimson Sakuras, but that does not mean that I am going to back down."
"Well, let's see if your confidence proves to be your undoing or not," Ried said before the camera panned away to focus on him again. "This is Diethard Ried, reporting live from Sapporo, Hokkaido in Area 11. Whether the Liberators do decide to strike again or not, I will be here to report it live to the people of Area 11 who have the right to know what is happening in their area."
The 'Breaking News' bulletin flashed across the screen again before the screen reverted back to the show that they were watching previously.
. . .
July 19, 2016
Sapporo Military Base, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Lieutenant Brown yawned as he walked down the main hallway of the Sapporo Military Base. It was early morning and he was on his way to the command center to check on the situation. He had been tasked by Prince Lelouch to keep an eye on the city, especially on the location of the civilians, though it didn't appear as if there were any civilians within the city limits. Brown briefly wondered just where the civilians had gone but decided that, at the very least, they seemed to be out of the way and they wouldn't be in danger should the Liberators attack as Prince Lelouch seemed to think they would.
Brown didn't know whether the prince actually had what it took to defeat the Liberators, the victory the day before notwithstanding, since he was such an inexperienced military commander. While he was a good commander and an intelligent strategist—as was evident in his victory over the Crimson Sakuras in Osaka—Brown knew that the Liberators were on a completely different level. Schneizel had defeated the Liberators but then Brown wasn't surprised. There was a reason why Schneizel was known as the Cold-Blooded Strategist after all.
He supposed he would just have to see if Prince Lelouch could do it as well. Going against the Liberators would make or break him and Brown wondered why it was that General Andon didn't take command of this operation. Why is he having such an inexperienced military commander go against the Liberators? He wondered silently.
"Sir, sir," a voice said and Brown turned to find his second, Major McMann, darting to his side, saluting as he did so.
"What is it, Major?" Brown asked with a frown.
"We've found something that you should see," McMann said.
"Show me," Brown said and followed McMann as he darted off to the command center.
When they reached the command center, McMann guided him to the computer that showed a tactical display of the sky. He frowned when McMann pointed to the display and, specifically, at an object that appeared to be heading toward the base. And it was moving rather rapidly.
Brown swore. "Evacuate the base, now," he barked out.
"Sir?" McMann began.
"Now, Major," Brown said swiftly.
"Ah, yes sir." McMann darted over to the communication unit and, speaking rapidly into the headset, issued a base-wide evacuation order and an alarm began to blare loudly as the object continued to draw closer and closer until it struck.
. . .
Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office, Sapporo, Hokkaido
The boom could be heard all the way in Lelouch's office at the Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office, startling him. He glanced up sharply from the papers on his desk and moved over to the window to see the smoke rising up from the military base to the northeast of the ward office. He narrowed his eyes. So you are continuing with your strategy. Hmm, better inform my secret weapons to hold their positions. I don't want some of my cards to be revealed too soon. Should also send a squad to find any survivors, he thought as he turned and returned to his desk.
The door to his office opened and Lieutenant Colonel Glendon darted in. "Did you hear that, Your Highness?" he asked as he came to a stop in front of Lelouch's desk.
"I did," Lelouch said. "It would appear our enemy has made their next move."
"You think that this attack is the Liberators' fault?" Glendon said puzzled.
"I believe it is, yes. Lieutenant Colonel, organize a search and rescue team to find any survivors from the attack on the military base," Lelouch said firmly.
"Yes, Your Highness," Glendon said with a salute before he darted out of the office.
Lelouch picked up his communicator and connected to Jeremiah, Kay, the two Frost Siblings, and Suzaku, whom he had delivered his orders for the upcoming engagement to personally. "This is Prince Lelouch. I want you four to have your squadrons hold their current positions," he said.
"But that attack, Your Highness..." Jeremiah began.
"I was expecting it. We must not compromise the plan and reveal my strategy to the enemy; whether they are looking or not is not important. Remain in position until I give you the signal," Lelouch said firmly.
"Yes, Your Highness," Jeremiah, Kay, the two Frost Siblings, and Suzaku all answered at once.
Lelouch ended the call and returned his attention to the papers on his desk, his brow furrowed in thought. You've made your first move, now it's only a matter of waiting for you to make your second move, he thought with a cool smile. And if your second move is what I predict it will be then I will be able to put your king in checkmate within only two moves.
. . .
Medical Transport, Outside the Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office, Sapporo
Lila carefully sorted through the cabinet, pulling out rolls of bandages, rubbing alcohol, slings, and other medical equipment and placing them on the counter where Laura was sorting through them. "That's it in the cabinets," she said, turning to Laura who pressed her lips together in thought.
"It looks like we're running a little low on some things," Laura said. "Thankfully, no one was hurt in that battle yesterday, if that could even be called a battle."
"Will you have enough supplies for any upcoming engagements or should we stock up again?" Lila asked curiously.
Laura gave Lila a gentle smile. "While I really do appreciate all of your help, Lila, you should focus on your own duties," she said.
Lila sighed but nodded. She knew that Laura wasn't just referring to her duties as a soldier fighting but also her duties as a member of Prince Lelouch's Royal Guard. In the battle at Osaka, Lila hadn't been on the frontlines; at the military base, she had been part of that infiltration team sent to capture Hozumi Murkami while, at the city itself, she had, along with Tadashi, been on sniper patrol, keeping an eye out for snipers and fighting against the foot soldiers that had attacked. However, now that she was part of Lelouch's Royal Guard, she was staying close to him; she, Tadashi, and Dimitri were the only ones of Lelouch's Royal Guard currently with him as the rest had their own set of orders at the moment.
"I know that, Laura, but, right now, I don't have anything to do. Prince Lelouch is safe in the Ward Office and those Liberators haven't struck yet and he doesn't mind me helping you out," Lila said.
Laura smiled back. "I think you'll make a good field medic one of these days, Lila," she said. "You certainly are compassionate enough and know your way around more than just the basics."
And that's only because of the medical books Mother and Father had me read, Lila mused.
Suddenly, the medical transport's door swung open and a soldier darted in. "We need your help now," he said with a hasty salute.
"What's going on?" Laura asked with a frown.
"Didn't you hear the explosion earlier?" Without waiting for either Laura or Lila to respond, he went on, "We have several wounded soldiers being brought in. Most of them have bad burns but there are some with puncture wounds from fallen debris."
"Right. C'mon, team, let's go," Laura ordered the rest of her medical team who nodded and, grabbing what supplies they felt they would need, darted out of the medical transport. Laura, grabbing varies supplies that Lila had placed on the counter, started to follow suit.
"Lila, get those bandages and burn salve," she shouted over her shoulder.
"On it," Lila said and, grabbing the aforementioned items, darted out of the transport toward where several men were lying on the ground or being carried toward them by other soldiers. Many of them were covered in severe third degree burns while some were bleeding from pieces of stone or wood sticking out of their legs or abdomens. The soldier that had called Laura and the rest of her team were already directing them to the worst of the injured.
"So what did you mean about an explosion earlier?" Laura asked with a frown as she knelt by the most injured soldier, calmly asking Lila, who had come to her side, for the burn salve and bandages.
"The military base where Lieutenant Brown had been stationed was bombed about fifteen minutes ago. I'm surprised you didn't hear it. Everyone else did," the soldier explained.
"The medical transport has some pretty thick walls," Laura admitted as she dabbed some of the burn salve on the worst of the soldier's burns, causing him to hiss in pain since he was still somewhat conscious. "So what happened?"
"No one's entirely sure," the soldier admitted.
"Has His Highness been informed?" Lila asked, handing Laura the bandages when she asked for them.
"Yes, Lieutenant Moore, he's been informed," the soldier said.
"Lila, you should be at His Highness's side," Laura said. "My team and I can handle this. Go now." She made a shooing motion with her hands and Lila, knowing that she was right, nodded. She was part of Lelouch's Royal Guard; with the attack on the military base, Lelouch's life might be in danger.
She handed the rest of the supplies she was holding to Laura before getting to her feet and darting over to the Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office.
. . .
Liberators' Carrier Ship, En Route to Hokkaido
Adeline shifted a little in the small crevice she had managed to squeeze herself into between two tall stacks of boxes filled with maintenance supplies for the Lupi that dotted the carrier's main floor. There were twelve in total, the rest having been delivered earlier that week, and Adeline knew that she would have to do some fast talking to ensure that Michal and Reyes would not only allow her to fight but also not report her location to her brother.
For now, though, she was stuck dealing with another two days on the carrier ship as it continued its slow journey to Hokkaido Island. Due to the fact that the ship had to travel the entire length of the Chinese Federation, the journey was bound to take a few days at least; they were also using a less well known route that carried them across the northern end of the Chinese Federation so as to avoid alerting the Chinese Federation to their location.
The ship was only used for carrying knightmare frames, built by the scientist Alexei Kozar based on the designs for the knightmare carriers that Britannia used that the Liberators had managed to snag a while back, and thus wasn't staffed by very many people. That was what made it easy for Adeline to sneak on board, even if she had nearly been seen by Nightfall.
She was a bit surprised that Nightfall was going to Hokkaido. Everyone knew that he was the one in charge of the first cell in Japan but he was, now, on the way to help the second cell. It made Adeline wonder if something happened to the first cell but then she realized that if that had been the case then Unity would've known about it as would the entire organization. Surely the disappearance of an entire cell would be noticed. Besides, Unity did receive regular reports from Nightfall's second in command at the Niigata Settlement.
She shook her head, deciding that she would worry about that later. Perhaps Nightfall had simply been given orders to aid Michal and Reyes in fighting against the Britannians who'd launched an attack to take back Hokkaido Island.
She ducked down when she saw someone enter the main floor and immediately recognized it as Nightfall, who was also on the phone with someone.
"Yeah, we're 'bout halfway across the Chinese Federation, Unity," Nightfall said.
Adeline bit her lip to keep from making a noise. If Nightfall didn't know she was there then he wouldn't tell Unity because, knowing her big brother, he would order the ship to turn around and fly right back to the base to drop her off. It would also delay the Liberators' attack to retake Sapporo or, worse case scenario, cost them the entire battle should they decide to go through with the second phase before the equipment for the third phase could arrive.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know," Nightfall added with a sigh. "I hate dealing with that fucker Reyes but I'll play nice."
There was another moment of silence before Nightfall added, "Yeah, yeah, okay. I'll call when we get to Hokkaido. Bye." He hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket before stretching his arms above his head, folding them behind his head.
"You can come out now, you know?" he added.
Adeline froze.
Nightfall laughed. "Did you honestly think I didn't notice you sneak on board, Little Miss Stowaway," he said, a smirk crossing his lips. "You weren't doing a very good job of hiding your little stowaway act."
Adeline gritted her teeth but, nonetheless, climbed out of the crevice between the stacks of boxes and stood up. "Why didn't you tell Big Brother then?" she asked.
"'Cause I've seen ya in a Lupus. Ya can kick ass and it'd make this fight so much quicker if we had someone of your skill fighting. Besides, I heard your little 'I can take care of myself. I'm not a child anymore' rant yesterday so now's your chance to prove it."
"It wasn't a rant," Adeline muttered but relaxed because, at least, Nightfall wasn't treating her like a child anymore. He knew that she was a good pilot and he agreed that she should be allowed the chance to prove it.
"Whatever. Just don't make me regret letting ya stay, kid," Nightfall said and strode off, ignoring Adeline's glare.
"I'm not a kid," she growled.
. . .
July 21, 2016
Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Lelouch sorted through his reports, half listening to Diethard who was talking on the phone with his superior and half attempting to read through the reports on his desk. Most of them were reports from the bombing of the military base delivered by those who managed to evacuate while some were the paperwork necessary for those who died in the bombing. He'd gotten around to finishing most of that paperwork but he still had some that he needed to finish; he was going to try and finish those before he went outside for some well-needed fresh air and check on his remaining troops.
He mused he should also contact his 'reserve team' and make sure they were all right. Considering where they were stationed, they had access to facilities like bathrooms and were constantly being supplied food and water from a squad of soldiers whom Lelouch had put on leave to help his 'reserve team' until they were needed. Basically, they were soldiers who wanted to do something after the 'battle' that forced the Liberators to retreat. Cecile was also helping out from the A.S.E.E.C.'s base.
"I know, I know," Diethard was saying into his phone. "But the prince is stubborn. He won't give me a full interview yet. I think he just doesn't want to give a full interview. Yes. Yes. I know the public are itching to know more about him and probably have many questions. No. I can ask but I doubt it. He's too focused on what's going on here in Sapporo. Yes, I know nothing's happened but that hasn't stopped the prince."
Lelouch, decide to ignore Diethard arguing with his superior, picked up his headset and connected to Jeremiah, Kay, the A.S.E.E.C.'s base, and the others.
"Your Highness, everything okay?" Jeremiah asked.
"Yes, everything's fine. I'm simply calling to check up on all of you," Lelouch replied.
"We're doing fine, Your Highness," Lieutenant Colonel Frost said.
"It's been two days, though, Your Highness. Are you sure the Liberators are going to show up?" Kay asked curiously.
"Yes, Major Frost, I'm sure," Lelouch said simply. "Earl Lloyd, will the Master Vibration Swords be ready to be used in the coming engagement?"
"Yes, they're ready to be tested already. I'm positive I got all the glitches out," Lloyd's excited voice was heard over the speaker.
"We got out," Cecile corrected. "They should perform admirably if we have gotten them all out."
"Good," Lelouch said. "Major Parker, any sign of the enemy on your end?" Lelouch called them by their first name only to differentiate between them since Kay had the same rank as his elder brother. Major Parker Frost was stationed on the northern end of the city, in the Higashi Ghetto, while Major Kay Frost was stationed on the western end, in the ruins of an old shrine. He also had Lieutenant Colonel Frost stationed to the east along with Suzaku and the A.S.E.E.C.—who were hidden in the Toyohira Ghetto—and Jeremiah to the south at the abandoned military base.
"Nothing, Your Highness," Parker Frost said.
"And you, Major Kay?" Lelouch asked.
"Everything's clear over here, Your Highness," Kay said.
"Good. Keep an eye on things and alert me if things change. However, if you see the enemy, you are not to engage them as per your orders," Lelouch reminded them.
"Understood, Your Highness," Jeremiah, Kay, Lieutenant Colonel Frost, and Major Parker stated at once.
Lelouch ended the call and removed the headset, noting that Diethard seemed to have finished his argument and looked incredibly frustrated. "Something the matter, Mr. Ried?" Lelouch asked.
"My boss wants me to update the people on what's going on in Sapporo, despite that being absolutely nothing," Diethard said. "I've managed to convince him to let me wait another day. I hope the Liberators show up by then. This waiting is really killing my reputation."
There was a knock on the door at that moment and Lelouch glanced toward it. "Come in," he called.
The door slid open and Andon made his way into the office. "Your Highness," he greeted Lelouch with a small bow as he walked over to join the prince by his desk. "It looks as if your theory about the Liberators is wrong."
"I wouldn't say that, General," Lelouch said, standing up and walking over to the window overlooking the city, clasping his hands behind his back, his amethyst eyes fixed on his soldiers milling around below. "The Liberators struck at my brother Schneizel's forces four days after they bombed a portion of the Phnom Penh Military Base. It's only been two days since the bombing."
"Do we know that it was them?" Andon asked.
"Yes. The search and rescue team found their insignia left behind when they went to search for survivors. Someone must have snuck in to leave the insignia and got out before the search and rescue team arrived. However, the surveillance system of the base and surrounding areas were too badly damaged and didn't catch sight of an intruder," Lelouch said.
Andon hummed as he walked over to join Lelouch by the window. "I will admit I agree that them leaving as quickly as they had does arouse suspicions and I can understand why they would wait a few days to launch an attack. What I do not understand is the attack on the military base."
"Weaken our forces," Lelouch said simply and turned his amethyst gaze to the general. "General, when you take control of a city back from a terrorist group, where is the most likely position that you would station your forces, other than the main government building in the city?"
"The military base...wait, you think that they attacked because they believed that some of your forces were stationed there?"
"Exactly," Lelouch said, returning his gaze to the window. "They sought to weaken our forces and, by waiting a few days after weakening our forces, they lull us into a false sense of security and then attack, giving them the element of surprise."
"However, since you've figured out that they're likely doing that, why do we still only have half of our regiment here? Why not recall the other half? I still do not understand why they were stationed where they were," Andon said.
"It's all part of the plan, General," Lelouch said. "I assure you I know what I am doing."
Andon pressed his lips together. "With all due respect, Your Highness, I'm not sure that I can believe that," he said. "Using only half a regiment against a cell of the Liberators that, even with only two-thirds of their forces, still outnumber us almost three to one, according to what we saw in that last skirmish...it would take a miracle to win that battle."
Lelouch turned to face the general, a cool confident smirk on his face. "Then watch as I perform a miracle," he said.
. . .
Ruined Port of Wakkanai, Hokkaido, Area 11
"Ahhh, fresh air!" Adeline exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air as she stepped out of the carrier and inhaled the salty sea air. She had been stuck on the carrier for the past three days and was more than grateful to finally see the blue sky and feel the ground beneath her feet.
Nightfall, who followed her out, rolled his eyes at her reaction and strode off to join the Liberators that had joined them at the ruined port. "Let's get these unloaded and over to Michal. He'll be needing them for the third phase. Hopefully Reyes hasn't completely fucked up the mission by attacking too soon," he said.
"Yes, sir," the Liberator soldiers stated, saluting before they hurried over to the carrier to begin guiding the Lupi out of the carrier and into four land carriers that were parked around them. Due to the area around Wakkanai being devastated so badly during the invasion that it was abandoned, no one could see what they were doing.
"I'd best contact Michal and the fucker and tell him that we're here," Nightfall said to himself and turned to Adeline. "Go and help or whatever, kid." He walked off before a bristling Adeline could respond.
Scowling in irritation, Nightfall always seemed to get under her skin the few times that she's interacted with him, Adeline walked off to join the other Liberators that were preparing to pilot the Lupi into the land carriers and offered her help. "I can pilot 'em into the carrier too," she said.
"You know how to pilot?" one asked.
"Yup."
"All right. We can use all the help we can get if we wanna get these to Michal before we lose our window of opportunity."
Beaming, Adeline darted off and slipped back into the carrier, heading toward the next Lupi that didn't have a temporary pilot and hopped into it. Due to the scientist Alexei Kozar being unable to figure out how to actually get the Lupus to transform out of Wolf Mode, all the Lupus were, unfortunately, stuck in that mode. Alexei was working on fixing that for the updated version of the Lupus. It was called Wolf Mode because the Lupus looked like a wolf that was crouched on its stomach when in launching position. It then rose to its 'paws' and moved like a wolf would move. Due to this, climbing into a Lupus was akin to climbing onto the back of a horse.
The cockpit greatly resembled a motorcycle in terms of the seating arrangement and the position of the main controls with tactical display screens, access panels for maintenance and command panels to calibrate the weapons system were in front of the controls. On the controls were triggers that one would pull as if pulling the trigger of a gun when one wanted to fire the assault rifles on the Lupus's shoulders or unsheathe the Claws or move the Claws like a wolf would move its paws to swipe at an enemy.
Sitting in the seat, Adeline removed the activation key that was resting on the dashboard in front of her and inserted it before starting the knightmare up. She grinned as it rose into a standing position and guided it out of the carrier easily; she has piloted these before and, so, knew exactly what to do.
Once she got that Lupus out and into the land carrier, she darted off to get another one. With her helping out, it took them about fifteen minutes to get the twelve Lupi into the land carriers; three of which were in each. Once they were ready to depart, Adeline walked over to join Nightfall who had rejoined the group.
"Let's get these things to Michal and the fucker," Nightfall said and headed for the cockpit of the lead land carrier. "Kid, you're coming with me. I ain't gonna let ya wander around by yourself 'cause I definitely don't want your big brother after my head."
"Stop calling me a kid," Adeline growled.
"I'll call you whatever the fuck I want," Nightfall said as he climbed into the cockpit of the land carrier.
"You cuss way too much," Adeline commented as she climbed in after him.
"Tch, like I care," Nightfall snorted.
"How long until we reach Michal and his cell?"
"How the hell should I know? I'm not the driver."
This is going to be a long drive, Adeline thought as she was reminded of why she only interacted with Nightfall a handful of times.
. . .
Outside the Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Lelouch wandered around the area in front of the ward office, scanning his men as they milled around. They were mostly talking with each other but paused to salute him as he walked past to which he responded with an incline of his head as he moved. The wounded from the bombing of the military base had been transported to the nearby hospital; even if there weren't any civilians in the city at the moment; a portion of the medical team had gone with them while the rest remained behind.
He had already subtly started reinforcing his position. While he wasn't entirely sure of when the Liberators would attack, he wasn't about to get caught off guard. If they stuck with their cycle strategy then they would start with guerilla attacks; that was why Lelouch's men's knightmares remained around the city hall, ready for its pilot to return to it. Tadashi and Lila were also in positions on the fifth floor of the Ward Office with sniper rifles to help take out the foot soldiers that Lelouch was sure would be part of the guerillas.
As he walked, his headset went off and he turned on the earphone. "Yes?" he said.
"Sir, enemy incoming from the northwest, both Major Frost and I spotted them incoming. They're about three kilometers out," Major Parker said.
"Do you know what I am facing?" Lelouch asked.
"Glasgows and tanks," Major Parker responded. "It's difficult to tell the numbers from this distance, however. What are your orders?"
"Your orders stand. Await my signal," Lelouch said.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lelouch shut off the communicator and jogged over to join Lieutenant Colonel Glendon. "Enemy inbound. I want the knightmares to form a defensive perimeter around the Office Ward. Foot soldiers are to station themselves within the circle of knightmares and await further orders. Set up the grenade launchers within the perimeter as well," he said firmly.
"Yes, Your Highness," Glendon said with a salute before he darted off, shouting orders while Lelouch headed for his own knightmare.
General Andon fell into step beside him, causing him to blink, though that was his only sign of surprise, since he hadn't seen Andon leave the Office Ward. "General," he greeted him.
"Are you going to take part in this battle, Your Highness?" Andon said.
"Yes," Lelouch said. "If a leader does not lead, how does he expect his subordinates to follow?" Without another word, he moved toward his knightmare, distinguished as the commanding knightmare due to a simple black shoulder plate on its right shoulder, and, using the access cable, immediately climbed into his cockpit. He was a good pilot in his own right and could handle himself in a fight; at the moment, he would just have to focus on having his men drive back the oncoming guerilla attacks while maintaining as much of their strength as possible.
He was a bit surprised when General Andon opened up a channel with him soon after he inserted the activation key and powered up the knightmare.
"I will accompany you. I'm not exactly content with just sitting aside in a battle," Andon said. "However, I will follow your orders simply because I know you have a strategy and I am curious about whether it will work."
"All right, General," Lelouch said and connected to the rest of his troops. "Prepare for battle. The enemy should be arriving at any moment."
"Yes, Your Highness," the half of the regiment that was stationed around the Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office said at once. They moved to their positions and Lelouch, glancing at his tactical display, saw the incoming red blips indicating the enemy.
The first wave of Glasgows crashed into the circle of knightmares around the Ward Office and the Sutherlands retaliated.
Lelouch, grasping the controls of his own Sutherland, glided into the heart of the battle, keeping one eye on the tactical display and another on the enemy. A Glasgow shot toward him, firing a Slash Harken at him but Lelouch dodged out of the way before firing his own Slash Harken back at the enemy. He, pulling out his jousting lance, shot forward and dodged out of the way of a spay of bullets before stabbing the jousting lance into the shoulder of the Glasgow hard enough to push the Glasgow off balance.
Yanking it back, he fired his Slash Harkens, sinking them into the Glasgow's chest and knocking it off its feet. It crashed to the ground and Lelouch quickly glided away when it exploded before moving again when another enemy launched themselves at him.
Connecting to the rest of his men, he began issuing orders to his men. "Squad 3, retreat to point C-3 and fire your Slash Harkens at two o'clock. Squads 4 and 5, provide cover fire," he ordered and watched as the aforementioned Squad fell back and fired their Slash Harkens into a balcony and yanked them out, causing the entire balcony to come crashing down on the tanks that had rolled up beneath it.
The enemy suddenly pulled back, breaking free from whoever they were tangling with and rapidly moving back the way they had come.
And so the guerilla tactics begin, Lelouch thought as he connected to Dimitri, who was helping to oversee the entire situation from the bridge of the G1 next to the Ward Office. "Status?" he said into his headset.
"No causalities on our end and no one is reporting severe damage or injury, Your Highness," Dimitri reported.
"Understood." Disconnecting the call, he scanned the location of his men on his tactical display, his mind going over the brief battle that'd just finished. They'd come in from the northwest. Hmm, will they come in from the same direction or will they switch directions? Considering that their cycle strategy proved that the Liberators were capable of making advantageous moves, he wouldn't put it past them to attack from a different direction in their next attack.
As it turned out, he was right.
It was about ten minute later that he received the message of the incoming attack. That was another reason why he had Kay, Parker Frost, Lieutenant Colonel Frost, Jeremiah, and their squadrons stationed where they were. They were also to give him warning from which direction the next guerilla attack would come in.
"Your Highness, enemy incoming from the northeast," Lieutenant Colonel Frost reported.
"Acknowledged," Lelouch said and connected to the half of the regiment he was in command of. "Enemy incoming from the northeast."
"Yes, Your Highness," the men said.
The second guerilla attack didn't just consist of Glasgows and tanks but also missile launchers. While he couldn't see where the missile launchers were stationed, he knew it was beyond the line of Glasgows and tanks. Dodging out of the way to avoid a missile that was flying at him, he connected to Tadashi and Lila as a boom sounded behind him.
One Sutherland, who was fighting with a Glasgow, was unfortunate enough to get caught in the flight path of another missile. As Lelouch finally connected with his two snipers, he caught sight of the explosion out of the corner of his eyes, his knightmare struck by a few pieces of burning metal.
"Damn it! Where're those missiles coming from?" Glendon, who was just barely able to avoid getting hit with a missile himself, exclaimed.
Lelouch didn't pay attention to what anyone said in response to that as Tadashi's voice echoed in his ear. "Yes, Your Highness?" he asked.
"Do you have a good sight of the northeast end of the battle?" Lelouch asked.
"Hold on." There was the sound of moving feet and then Tadashi's voice said, "Okay, we do know."
"What do you see?"
"Looks like two squads in trucks. The ones using the missile launchers are at the back of each truck. There're only four of them, Your Highness," Tadashi said.
"Can you take them out?" Lelouch asked as he dodged out of the way of a Slash Harken sent flying at him and fired his own back at the Glasgow. He charged forward, spearing the Glasgow through with his jousting lancing and then pushing it straight into the flight path of the missile he'd seen flying toward him.
He still wasn't used to killing, even though he knew that, in battle, it was kill or be killed. He doubted that he would ever be used to it but he was able to push the revulsion away.
Do all soldiers feel this way?
The shockwave created by the explosion sent him skidding back a few feet, snapping him out of his thoughts and forcing him to refocus on the matter at hand, as his knightmare was battered by flaming debris again but a quick check showed that his knightmare hadn't been damaged. I need to focus on this battle. I'm a soldier, whether I like it or not, and this is what soldiers do, he told himself firmly.
"We should be able to take out two of them but the other two have a tank in front of them so we don't have a clear shot, Your Highness," Lila's voice said, coolly detached and Lelouch heard her prepare her sniper rifle.
"Take out the first two, Lieutenant, Private," Lelouch said.
"Yes, Your Highness," both of them responded and Lelouch, cutting the transmission, contacted Glendon and issued orders to take out the tank Lila had spotted.
. . .
Conference Room, Fourth Floor, Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office
Tadashi took a deep breath as he aimed the sniper rifle at the man holding the missile launcher, able to see him clearly through the sniper rifle's scope. He has killed before and he knew it but that didn't make it any easier.
"Don't hesitate now, Tadashi," Lila said as she aimed her sniper rifle. "These are terrorists who are trying to kill us after all and it's not as if this is your first time."
"Yeah, I know," Tadashi said. "Doesn't make it any easier. I know I felt sick when I took out that terrorist that tried to kill Lelouch."
"Killing never does. I felt the same way when I took out that sniper even if it had just been an automatic response, taking out that enemy, and I would've done it again in an instant to protect my friend but I still couldn't help but feel sick. I'm sure everyone's felt the same way," Lila said, focusing on the scope before she pulled the trigger. With a crack, the sniper rifle fired and Tadashi, looking into his own scope, watched as one of the men that was using the missile launcher fell over.
Taking another deep breath, Tadashi peered into his scope and fixated his sniper rifle on the second visible terrorist. This is for my family and my friends, to protect them and keep them safe. A soldier is supposed to protect and defend those who can't protect and defend themselves, Tadashi told himself as he took a deep breath and slowly released it as he pulled the trigger.
The bullet sailed across the air and slammed into the head of the second man, causing him to topple over and his missile launcher to fall to the ground.
Dropping down so as to avoid being seen, Tadashi swallowed back the bile that'd arisen in the back of his throat. The same thing had happened back at Osaka. Pushing that thought away, he peered over the edge and swore when he saw something flying toward them.
"Damn it!" He grabbed Lila, startling her, and darted toward the door and dove through it, dragging Lila behind him. The missile that he'd seen coming crashed into the room with a resounding boom and the shockwave struck Tadashi and Lila, along with quite a few pieces of debris, sending them skidding across the floor of the hallway.
Coughing as dust entered his mouth, Tadashi turned to Lila. "You okay?" he asked.
Lila nodded and pushed herself into a sitting position. "Those other two must've caught sight of which direction the shots came from," she said.
"Yeah, that makes sense," Tadashi said.
"...ate. Private Akiyama! What happened?" Lelouch's voice called over Tadashi's headset.
"One of the remaining missile launching people probably spotted which direction the shots had come in and decided to fire at us, Your Highness," Tadashi said.
"Are either of you injured?"
Tadashi looked at Lila who was checking herself. She glanced at him and shook her head. "No, we aren't, Your Highness," he said.
"Good. The damage is significant. It would not be safe for you two to return to your previous vantage point," Lelouch said. "Go to your secondary vantage point and await further orders."
"Yes, Your Highness," Tadashi said.
"Yes, Your Highness," Lila said into her own headset.
The two of them got to their feet before darting to the stairs and taking them to the floor above.
. . .
Outside the Sapporo City Chūō Ward Office, Sapporo
"They're retreating again, Your Highness," Glendon reported soon after he and his men managed to take out the tank that was obstructing Tadashi's and Lila's view of the last two missile launchers. However, the two trucks had been a bit too close to the aforementioned tank and when it was destroyed, it caused the two trucks to explode as well.
Lelouch mused that, sometimes, things did happen due primarily to luck.
"Let them go. I want a status report of the situation. All wounded are to be sent to the medical transport immediately but remain alert. This isn't over yet. I have no doubt we're in for more of these guerilla attacks," he said to all of his men.
He then contacted Tadashi and Lila once he got an acknowledgment from his men. "Have you reached your second vantage point?" he asked.
"We're here," Lila's voice answered this time.
"Keep an eye out for the enemy," Lelouch said.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Cutting the connection, Lelouch leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes as he wiped the seat from his brow and relaxed for the time being. About five minutes past by before someone contacted him. Opening his eyes, he flipped on his headset again. "Yes?" he said.
"Your Highness, I've gotten the status report. We've lost three knightmares and two more are badly damaged. No causalities but half a dozen foot soldiers were badly injured in one of those missile attacks. They're being escorted to the medical transport now," Dimitri reported.
"Understood."
Ten minutes went by before Lelouch received word of the direction in which the next guerilla attack would come in, from Jeremiah in the south and, that time, they were attacking only with Glasgows. There weren't any tanks or foot soldiers with this group so Lelouch ordered his foot soldiers to fall back to the G1 and ordered the knightmares forward.
General Andon, in the Sutherland that he'd borrowed for the battle, moved to Lelouch's side as he joined with the rest of his knightmare pilots south of the ward office. "You're doing well so far, Your Highness," he said.
"While I thank you for the compliment, I suggest saving it until we win," Lelouch said, watching as the enemy Glasgows launched themselves at the line of knightmares in front of them.
Andon hummed. "Ah, yes. Well, let's see if you really can pull off a miracle, Your Highness," he said.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: I hope I did an all right job on this part of the battle
Nunnally: I think you did a very good job, Blaze
Blaze: thank you, Nunnally
Suzaku: by the way, where's Bakura?
Blaze: I think he's still getting killed by Lelouch for making Nunnally cry last chapter
Suzaku: how is he still alive?
Blaze: (holds up the Numeron Code) I just kept bringing him back to life since he's not immortal like the Emperor and V.V.
Suzaku: I see
Blaze: well, at the very least, I got to the fourth and final arc of this story, even if I'm uncertain of how to start the final arc of this story. I'm also working on Fall Into Dusk, which seems to be getting incredibly complex with paradoxes, timeline jumpers, more supernatural elements, and a more thorough—and non-canon—exploration of Geass.
Suzaku: sounds interesting...and confusing
Blaze: it is meant to be mind-boggling since, while its main genres are adventure and drama, its subgenres are mystery and suspense but that has nothing to do with this story so I'm gonna shut up now (tapes mouth shut with duct tape)
Suzaku: (sweatdrops) I suppose this means that I'm ending this chapter. Blaze hopes that you enjoyed this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated. Thank you for reading.
